With its massive amount of armor plating, bullet-proof glass and other modifications, the Popemobile, much like President Barack Obama’s famous Cadillac limousine – aka The Beast – is one pig of a vehicle. In fact, it’s so hefty that the Vatican questioned whether a pure electric powertrain could provide enough grunt to get His Holiness out of trouble in an emergency situation.
For now, details on the plug-in hybrid Popemobile are scarce, as neither the Vatican nor Mercedes-Benz are willing to release info on the vehicle for security reasons. However, there seems to be some indication that the plug-in M-Class will have 16 miles of electric-only range; probably enough for His Holiness to journey down the road during official engagements without burning through a drop of gas. When you see how many people crowd around His Holiness, going exhaust-free would be a true bit of kindness.
[Source: Herald Sun via All Cars Electric | Inage: Damir Sencar/AP]
