(Bloomberg) -- Mercedes-Benz Group AG may be struggling to sell its electric cars, but it just landed a heavenly endorsement: Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, will ride in a battery-powered G-Wagon.
Executives and engineers visited the Vatican on Wednesday to deliver the hand-crafted popemobile, which Francis plans to use when pilgrims visit Rome for a jubilee event in 2025. Mercedes has supplied special vehicles for the pope for nearly a century, including the first bulletproof version in 1981, introduced after an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II the year before.
“This is a special honor for our company, and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust,” Mercedes-Benz Group Chief Executive Officer Ola Källenius said in a statement.
The high-profile EV delivery marks a rare bright spot for Mercedes, which has struggled with subdued demand for its plug-in cars. The German manufacturer sold fewer than 20 units of its EQE sedan in China, the world’s largest EV market, in October, according to data from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center.
Going electric allows the Catholic church to burnish its green credentials with the public. The leader of a church with 1.5 billion followers, Francis in 2013 issued a widely influential encyclical condemning unchecked consumerism and environmental destruction.
The electric Mercedes G-Wagon weighs more than 3 tons and costs €142,621 ($149,370) without options. A highly capable off-road vehicle, its combustion engine version is a common sight in affluent urban areas from Los Angeles to Munich.
For the pope, the rear bench seat has been replaced by a centrally positioned swiveling seat with adjustable height, enabling Francis to address audiences from different angles. Like previous popemobiles, the paint is pearl white.
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