Category: General

The first customer examples of the Lucid Gravity electric SUV began rolling out of the automaker’s Casa Grande, Arizona, assembly plant Thursday.

The Gravity was first revealed in production form at the 2023 Los Angeles auto show, and it arrives as a 2025 model, initially in Grand Touring form with a starting price of $94,900 before destination. Grand Touring models target more than 440 miles of range with battery capacity similar to the Lucid Air Grand Touring sedan—suggesting not much more than 118 kwh.

2025 Lucid Gravity

2025 Lucid Gravity

2025 Lucid Gravity

A dual-motor powertrain is expected to deliver 828 hp from dual motors which, along with the range estimate, is in line with what Lucid claimed when the Gravity was first shown in 2023. The automaker said at the time that launch versions would do 0-60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. A prototype drive earlier this year hinted at fairly sporty handling as well.

The Grand Touring will be followed by a $79,900 Touring grade, arriving for the 2026 model year. Lucid hasn’t confirmed any additional variants, but it’s possible the automaker will eventually introduce a lower-priced Pure grade and a tri-motor Sapphire performance version, matching the current Air lineup.

The first customer Gravity models have Combined Charging Standard (CCS) ports, but Lucid confirmed in September that the Gravity will get a Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) port starting in 2025.

Today marks an exciting landmark for our company. Production of the Lucid Gravity is now underway at our factory in Arizona!​

This milestone is a celebration of the hard work by our passionate and dedicated team to bring this groundbreaking SUV to life. Its combination of space… pic.twitter.com/ItJsOL3H3Y

— Lucid Motors (@LucidMotors) December 5, 2024

Lucid will next move closer to the mass market with three additional models. The first will be a $50,000 mid-size SUV called the Lucid Earth, which is expected to start production in late 2026.

The Earth and Gravity SUVs will likely open up a bigger market than the Air, of which Lucid delivered just 2,781 units in the third quarter of 2024. Even that was up 90% from the same period a year ago, when Lucid was likely still working to ramp up production.

• Tariffs imports from Canada and Mexico could add $2,100 for U.S.-assembled vehicles
• Mexico-made pickup trucks might cost $8,000-$10,000 more
• Proposed tariffs could also drive up the cost for EVs like $35k Chevy Equinox EV

The incoming Trump administration’s proposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico could hit the Detroit Three automakers hard, raising the prices of not only EVs but also the gasoline pickup trucks that are those automakers’ lifelines, according to recent reporting from Reuters.

GM would likely see the biggest impact from these policies, which are steeped in the anti-immigration rhetoric that was a major feature of Trump’s campaign message but would disrupt long-established North American supply chains, according to Reuters.

GM is expected to import more than 750,000 vehicles from Canada and Mexico this year, according to that Reuters report, which cites business analytics firm GlobalData. About half of those will be the highly-profitable full-size gasoline pickups that contribute most to the automaker’s bottom line.

2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Separately, Reuters also notes that tariffs could affect the price of the Chevrolet Equinox EV, currently GM’s most affordable electric model. It’s assembled in Mexico and costs $34,995 before a $7,500 federal EV tax credit Trump is expected to take away.

Mexico is a major EV manufacturing hub, with more EVs going to the U.S. than are sold domestically—but that’s just part of an overall trend that relates to all types of vehicles and the parts that go into them. As Reuters states, 90% of light vehicles and 43% of auto parts manufactured in Mexico are exported to other parts of North America. GM, Ford, Nissan, and Stellantis lead with exports from Mexico to the U.S., but Toyota, VW, and Honda each brought in more than 100,000 vehicles from Mexico just in the first six months of 2024. 

The Trump tariffs would apply to both complete vehicles and parts. A 25% tariff on parts from Canada or Mexico would add $2,100 in cost to consumers for U.S.-assembled vehicles, and $8,000-$10,000 for vehicles also assembled in Canada or Mexico, according to Reuters, citing Wells Fargo estimates.

Ford Mustang Mach-E assembly – Mexico

Trump voters may feel that financial pain more than most. While many pickup trucks are assembled in the U.S., a good share of popular models, including not only GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, but also the Ford Maverick, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tacoma are built in Mexico. So the vehicles most popular in rural areas that overwhelmingly voted for Trump will also be impacted by tariffs, Reuters points out.

Trucks are at least profitable, offering a chance that automakers can absorb the cost increases rather than pass them on to consumers. That may not be the case with more affordable compact cars like the Nissan Sentra, longtime industry analyst Sam Fiorani noted to Reuters. EVs could follow the same price-hike path as affordable gas cars. 

Stellantis on Thursday announced an agreement with Texas-based Zeta Energy to develop lithium-sulfur batteries that could significantly reduce cost and pack weight, while boosting charging speed.

The automaker and Zeta Energy claim lithium-sulfur chemistry can deliver comparable volumetric energy density to current lithium-ion battery cells, but at less than half the price per kwh. Sulfur is cheap and widely available, Stellantis noted in a press release, adding that batteries will be produced using unrefined sulfur produced as a byproduct of other industries, other waste materials, methane, helping to keep costs down while minimizing carbon dioxide emissions.

STLA Large platform

Lithium-sulfur tech also “has the potential” to increase fast-charging speeds by up to 50%, the automaker emphasized, along with significantly lighter battery packs with the same usable capacity as equivalent lithium-ion packs.

The agreement calls for pre-production development work with an eye toward possible commercialization by 2030. Stellantis intends to use existing battery factories, and claims it can keep the supply chain for battery materials concentrated within either Europe or North America, in line with its current vehicle manufacturing footprint.

Stellantis STLA Medium platform

Stellantis in 2023 announced a partnership with Lyten to develop lithium-sulfur battery tech, as well as an investment in the California-based startup from its Stellantis Ventures arm. The automaker made clear to Green Car Reports that this partnership with Zeta Energy is complementary to the partnership with Lyten.

For years, lithium-sulfur batteries have been considered one of the next frontiers to greatly boost range without adding weight or driving up production cost. Advances from the past decade have helped push development past some of the key obstacles, but mass production and relatively short life for the cells have remained issues. It will be interesting to see if Stellantis can address those issues before the end of the decade.

A consortium of stakeholders aims to roll out a universal plug-and-charge protocol for the U.S. in 2025, allowing all electric vehicles to automatically start charging at public stations simply by plugging in.

Announced Wednesday, the initiative is being undertaken by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the federal government’s Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and the Electric Vehicle Public Key Infrastructure (EVPKI) consortium, which represents automakers, charging networks, hardware manufacturers, and other private interests.

2023 Cadillac Lyriq at EVgo DC fast-charging station.

Some automakers have been rolling out plug-and-charge piecemeal, often packaged as part of charging ecosystems for each brand’s customers. But that’s left a range of situations in which plug-and-charge will work with some vehicle-and-charger or vehicle-and-network combinations but not others. This new effort aims to shift reliance away from individual automakers or specific hardware or software variations and make plug-and-charge the norm.

That means developing a common framework that allows all EVs, chargers, and charging networks to seamlessly communicate, a press release from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, a collaboration between the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Transportation (DOT), said. The office was created under the Biden administration’s infrastructure law to serve as the main point of contact for the administration’s national EV charging network plan.

2023 Nissan Ariya at EVgo charging station

Key to this is a Certificate Trust List (CTL) to be developed by the consortium members. It would essentially be a compendium of vehicles, hardware, and payment platforms that meet certain standards. The goal is to allow for quick authentication when a vehicle is plugged in to charge, by pre-clearing adherents to these standards. The consortium also aims for robust cybersecurity measures, something the federal government has been investigating since at least 2022.

No timeline was given for the full rollout of this evolution of plug-and-charge, but the initiative takes EV charging a further step away from the bad old days of requiring multiple accounts, cards, and fobs to access all public charging stations.

• Rivian owners won’t need a service-center visit to switch tires and wheels
• Gen 1 Rivians will gain launch control
• Framework for third-party apps is completed

Rivian offers regular over-the-air updates, and it’s listening to customer feedback to lay out what it prioritizes, whether the good, the bad, or the ugly.

In a fireside chat at the automaker’s Venice Space in CA in November, Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid laid out a host of features and software tweaks that are in the works. All are driven by owner feedback.

Rivian interface will allow user-configurable tire sizes 

The first three years of Rivian R1T and R1S production saw 20-, 21-, and 22-inch wheels offered with off-road all-terrain tires and all-season street-oriented rubber. The updated 2025 models, known as Gen 2, slim that down to just 20- and 22-inch wheel offerings still with off-road all-terrain or all-season rubber. But the adventure-ready vehicles are ripe for customization as seasons, or adventures, change.

Changing the wheels and tires from the 22-inch wheels down to 20s with winter tires or all-terrains currently requires owners to visit a Rivian service center to have the vehicle’s infotainment system reprogrammed to recognize the different wheel and tire size. This will then factor into the trip computer’s range estimation.

The ability for users to manually change the wheel and tire size is coming in a future software update in the first quarter of 2025, according to Bensaid.

Launch control for Gen 1 Rivians

It’s coming, Bensaid confirmed.

Currently the launch control feature for the pre-2025 R1T and R1S models is in development, and it will arrive in calendar-year 2025.

Bensaid wouldn’t reveal much about the system, but he said, “We want it to be really an exciting package.”

“There will be some surprises,” Bensaid noted. He went on to say there are some features that owners have been requesting for a long time, and they are coming, but the exec wouldn’t expand on what those features are.

Charging and data transparency

Bensaid also confirmed the rollout of what’s being called Energy App 2.0. The goal is to bring data transparency and insight to customers so they understand charging curves. The hope is to help educate customers on what to expect from a charging standpoint, what to expect from a range standpoint, and even promote sustainable behavior.

2025 Rivian R1S

Opening Rivian infotainment to third-party apps

Bensaid said the ultimate vision is for Rivian to open up its infotainment platform to third-party developers. This would enable companies that make apps like Gaia GPS or onX off-road map apps to work when out adventuring in the boonies. Bensaid was quick to note he can’t provide any timelines for any of this given everything else going on from a priority standpoint, but the framework is in place.

Updated gauge cluster design

The software exec also confirmed that Rivians will receive a new digital gauge cluster design in 2025. 

Nissan Ariya owners will be able to charge their electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger stations starting Dec. 10, the automaker announced Wednesday.

Nissan plans to fit new EVs sold in the U.S. with North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports starting in 2025, but existing vehicles will be able to charge at Supercharger stations using a $235 adapter, which is available to order now, Nissan said.

2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce

Most major EV brands now plan to adopt the NACS port, while providing adapters to owners of existing EVs. Ford initially offered free adapters, but most other automakers that have begun offering Supercharger access, including General Motors, Kia, Polestar, and Volvo, are making customers pay for them.

Nissan said 17,800 Supercharger sites will be incorporated into its Nissan Energy Charging Network interface, which offers real-time charger availability status and payment through the MyNissan app. The same features are also available for chargers on the Electrify America, Shell Recharge, EVgo, and ChargePoint networks in the U.S.

2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce

All of this capability is available only on the Ariya, which has a Combined Charging Standard (CCS) port like most other new EVs. Nissan does not plan to offer NACS adapters for the Leaf, the last EV on sale using the CHAdeMO port. Nissan has confirmed that the Leaf will continue for the 2025 model year, but it’s likely to be replaced soon by a more crossover-like sequel with a NACS port.

The Ariya, meanwhile, was a Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024 finalist thanks to its quiet interior, comfortable ride, nimble handling, and an interface that got things right straight away instead of leaning on future software updates. It arrived as a 2023 model and received price cuts of up to $6,000 for 2024.

From the beginning, Rivian intended its charging network to be at least partly publicly accessible. Now it’s ready to open its Adventure Network DC fast-charging sites to electric vehicles from other brands.

This will be the case with what Rivian calls its next-generation Adventure Network sites, the first of which opened Thursday in Joshua Tree, California. Rivian said that it expects to open additional locations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York in the coming year.

Rivian Adventure Network charging site in Joshua Tree, California

These sites will offer DC fast charging at up to 900 volts, with Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connectors initially. Vehicles with Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) will also be able to charge via adapters, Rivian said, with built-in NACS connectors coming as part of a future update as Rivian moves to adopt NACS for its EVs as well.

Rivian also noted that these new chargers “meet the design and siting requirements to be eligible for relevant state and infrastructure funding.” The automaker expects government funding to help pay for further expansion of the network, which it sees as “an important source of revenue” going forward.

Rivian Adventure Network charging site in Joshua Tree, California

New chargers will also have larger displays and a tap-to-pay option, allowing for use with or without Rivian’s mobile app. The automaker said it will employ “100% renewable energy matching” to ensure a lower overall carbon footprint for EVs charged on its network.

Rivian started deploying its first Adventure Network chargers in 2022 as part of a “two-tier” strategy alongside Waypoint Level 2 AC destination chargers. In keeping with the automaker’s brand image, the network has been planned as a backcountry counterpart to the Tesla Supercharger network, with chargers primarily located near recreational sites.

• New layout for a 2-speed might be light and compact while maintaining efficiency
• Could potentially allow strong launch with a lower-cost motor unit
• Idea might be due in future Lucid EVs, or engineers might still be pondering it

The Lucid Air electric sedan already achieves impressive efficiency with its existing drive unit, but the automaker might be considering a 2-speed transmission for possible future use, a patent filing indicates.

The patent, first spotted by Motor1, was filed in 2023 and looks to build on the current drive-unit setup, which uses two coaxial planetary gearsets to provide the necessary reduction from motor speed to wheel speed while keeping packaging compact.

It describes the use of one or more planetary gearsets to achieve two gear ratios, with a tapered gear surface on each respective gear plus a system of one-way clutches to switch between them.

Most electric cars do without multi-speed transmissions, but they’ve been a topic of discussion for some time. The original Tesla Roadster was supposed to use a 2-speed gearbox, but that was substituted for a fixed reduction-gear setup after prototypes failed to handle the motor’s copious torque.

Lucid 2-speed transmission. – U.S. patent

Lucid, in the patent application, somewhat parallels explanations provided to Green Car Reports in the past from CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson about why it hasn’t yet used a multi-speed unit. In the filing, the company’s authors explained that the gearboxes already used in a few electric-vehicle models “are complex mechanisms that take up significant space, they may have low efficiency and/or deliver low initial torque, and they place a significant inertia load on the drivetrain (e.g., an excessive jerk when shifting).”

If such a component doesn’t take up initial space or reduce efficiency, while allowing smaller, lighter motors, incorporating them with Lucid’s upcoming Atlas drive unit could pay off in averted cost and weight—although the company has made no claims as of yet that this patent has anything to do with Atlas.

Next-generation Lucid Atlas drive unit – bound first for future midsize EVs

“Lucid continuously explores new ideas and develops technological innovations that could further advance our electric vehicle technology and help accelerate humanity’s transition to sustainable transportation and energy,” the company stated, in response to Green Car Reports’ question as to whether this patent might be connected to Atlas and thus its future midsize models, initially. “Protecting unique IP is a typical part of the innovation and development process, though we can’t speak to potential future applications of specific patents.”

2024 Lucid Air

The Porsche Taycan has a 2-speed gearbox for its rear wheels, which Porsche has said helps balance acceleration and high-speed efficiency. The gearbox has a low gear that helps deliver more torque from a standing start, while keeping the rear motor and power electronics cooler. The high gear automatically engages at a certain speed threshold, or when the drive eases up on the accelerator (manual shifting isn’t possible), and driving it gently can skip the low ratio entirely.

In dual-motor versions of the Model S, Tesla has used motors with different gearing to achieve similar goals. Volkswagen is also confident that it can find other ways to maximize efficiency. In a recent interview with Green Car Reports, Kai Grünitz, VW’s head of global research and development, said the automaker still has no plans for 2-speed transmissions in EVs.

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, is using a 2-speed transmission in its next-generation MMA platform, which will underpin four compact models starting with the 2026 Mercedes CLA, which will be sold with all-electric and hybrid powertrains. And perhaps Lucid will follow through and include an additional gear ratio in some of its future EVs as well.

–with reporting by Bengt Halvorson

• Refreshed iX electric crossover gets 10% more efficient
• 2026 iX will have three new model designations
• BMW refined the suspension tuning

If you’ve been following EVs, then BMW’s Neue Klasse (noo-ay class-eh) should sound familiar. Even though the “new class” sounds as French as it does German to this anglophone, BMW uses it to classify its generation of electric vehicles that launches with the iX3 crossover later this year, followed by an iteration of the 3-Series sedan.

Meanwhile, the refreshed 2026 BMW iX makes a half-step to this new class of EVs. Launched in 2022, BMW’s electric crossover arrives with significant improvements to its battery packs, propulsion systems, and other internals, though much of what we know we can’t say until late January for its global reveal. 

In a brief drive outside of BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, factory, the new iX rode with more comfort and seemed to have a greater range between its firm sport and soft comfort settings. There appeared to be changes to its polarizing exterior design that bridged the quirky eco-style of the discontinued i3 hatch with some of the more bold if not brash styling elements of BMW’s crossover SUVs. 

It was covered in camo and the interior dash and panels were covered in the kind of thin carpet you’d find in a cargo floor. Our impressions were limited to a 15-minute test drive, and many of the mechanical details are in another kind of camouflage from BMW. Here’s what we know and what’s been leaked, and what we might expect for this iteration of the iX. 

Spartanburg is BMW’s largest factory in the world, and while it makes the X3 and nearly every larger crossover SUV that BMW ships to the world, the iX will continue to be made in Plant Dingolfing, in Lower Bavaria, Germany.  

The 2026 iX arrives in the second quarter of 2025 with a reported three models to choose from, each representing a different performance level, in the BMW way. 

2026 BMW iX battery and motor unit improvements

All three models will have dual-motor all-wheel drive, but the new base model will be the iX xDrive45, instead of the 40, according to a leaked Bimmerpost cited by several automotive outlets. Based on EPA listings, the entry point to the 2025 BMW iX will be the xDrive40 that hasn’t been offered in the U.S. yet; it has a 71-kwh battery pack (usable) and a max range of 219 miles, according to the EPA.

Expect a larger pack and increased range at the entry point of the 2026 iX xDrive45. 

It’s rumored that this year’s iX xDrive50 morphs into the iX xDrive60 in 2026, and this year’s M60 becomes the M70 in 2026. It’s expected to have a larger battery pack than the existing 105.2-kwh battery pack, but it will probably stick with the prismatic cells instead of switching over to more energy-dense cylindrical cells that will underpin the Neue Klasse generation of electric vehicles. Consider this the fifth-and-a-half—not sixth—generation of BMW’s EV battery and propulsion system. 

Neue Klasse vehicles will utilize an 800-volt architecture, but the iX will keep its 400-volt architecture, albeit with efficiency improvements to increase charging times. How much we don’t know. On a DC fast charger maxing out at 195 kw, the 2025 BMW iX could charge from 10-80% in 40 minutes.

Like the Neue Klasse vehicles, however, the 2026 BMW iX may use silicon anodes instead of graphite in the cells, resulting in greater energy density and faster charging speeds. More density means more energy stored, so it should translate to greater range, though that hasn’t been confirmed by BMW and likely won’t be certified by the EPA until early next year. 

Other improvements to boost range include new “friction-optimized” wheel bearings, according to BMW, and more efficient headlights that consume less energy. New inverter technology increases the drive power energy for more burst, and the transfer of energy from the battery to the motor is more dense and efficient.

2026 BMW iX estimated with 10% more efficiency 

The 2025 iX xDrive50 has an EPA-rated range of 309 miles when equipped with 20-inch wheels. BMW cited a 10% increase in efficiency for the new model, so that could boost the range to 340 miles for the 2026 BMW xDrive60, when equipped with the most fuel-efficient wheels wrapped in low-rolling resistance tires.

The 2025 M60 tops out at 285 miles, while the 2026 M70 could get somewhere in the 310- to 315-mile range, based on my crude calculation. It’s much harder to speculate on the xDrive45 because BMW wouldn’t release the battery size.

How the 2026 BMW iX drives

We don’t know if the M70 will improve on the 2025 M60’s 610-hp, 749 lb-ft of torque output and 0-60 mph time of 3.6 second, or if the iX xDrive60 will improve on the 2025 xDrive50’s 516 hp, 564 lb-ft and its 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. 

In my brief drive, the iX xDrive60 had gobs of power off the line, and slight toe-taps opened up bursts of acceleration at speed. It was quick enough to slap a grin on my face, but not so stark as to upset unsuspecting passengers. Eco mode predictably mushed the throttle response. Sport mode mostly deactivated the stability control system to allow for some kind of drifting, I was told, but I didn’t have the space or lack of passengers to test it. The B mode in the shifter remains for max regenerative braking that brings the iX nearly to a stop without the brake pedal. The brakes remain the same. 

The 2024 iX xDrive50 I tested last year had wobbly handling and prodigious weight, making it something of an outlier in BMW’s electroverse, but BMW has worked to improve that across the iX range. I tested the iX xDrive60 with the steel-spring suspension. BMW retuned the hydraulic dampers for a calmer ride while cruising, and on the stretch of state highway I tested at about 70 mph, it made good on that promise. With the exception of the expected tire noise endemic to EVs, it was notably quiet in the cabin, even with the prototype seemingly unfinished. 

The lack of steering feel in Sport mode was one of our editor’s complaints about the 2023 BMW iX. Improvements to the steering have also been made, with a more pronounced feeling between sport and comfort settings, according to BMW, but I didn’t have enough space to test that out. 

The M70, like the M60 before it, will likely have a two-axle air suspension with adaptive dampers. It appears that the iron butterfly grille—one of the gaudiest takes on the kidney grille this side of the i4 electric sedan—carries over, as does the alleged self-healing grille that erases or at least blends in scratches.  

New this year is an M Sport package, as requested by customers. The cosmetic Sport package on the 2025 xDrive50 might not have had enough M. It comes with blue brake calipers, whereas the M Sport Package Pro standard on the M70 gets red calipers. Maybe it’ll make M posers see red.

On the inside, the package means new M power seats with more side bolstering and a longer seat bottom by nearly two inches. Leather upholstery remains an option with the M Sport Package, but it comes with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, M pedals, and M badging. 

Standard features across the lineup include adaptive cruise control up to 85 mph, welcome lighting, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as a Harman Kardon sound system. 

Options include a glass roof, automatic soft-close doors, and the latest in BMW’s iDrive operating system integrated into a digital instrument cluster and touchscreen of undisclosed size. Driver-assist options include a limited hands-free driving system with automatic lane changes and a remote parking system.  

The 2026 iX adds some newness to this class of BMW electric vehicle, but what future will it hold in the Neue Klasse school? We’ll find out more late in January.   

BMW paid for airfare and lodging for Green Car Reports to attend its brand overview.

• The Mercedes G 580 with EQ Technology is the first electric Popemobile
• Fisker was supposed to supply an Ocean as the first electric Popemobile
• While the electric G-Class is the first electric Popemobile, it’s not the first EV in the Vatican’s fleet

Mercedes-Benz G-Class Popemobiles have been a fixture of the Vatican vehicle fleet for decades, so with the off-roader now going electric, it’s fitting that the latest Popemobile is doing the same.

Mercedes on Wednesday presented Pope Francis with the first official electric Popemobile, based on the all-electric G 580 with EQ Technology that also reaches U.S. showrooms this year as a 2025 model.

As Mercedes points out, the automaker has a long history supplying cars to the Vatican, starting with a Nürburg 460 Pullman sedan for Pope Pius XI in 1930. The term Popemobile was coined for a series of modified G-Class SUVs, starting with a 460-series model first used by John Paul II in the 1980s and also used by his successors Benedict XVI and Francis, with elevated seating platforms and armored glass enclosures for the pontiff.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class electric Popemobile

That makes the electric G-Class’s designation as the first electric Popemobile historically apt, but it’s also the result of Fisker’s failure to deliver a Popemobile based on its Ocean electric SUV, something the now-bankrupt automaker proposed in 2021.

Mercedes was also slated to supply an M-Class (predecessor to today’s GLE-Class) plug-in hybrid Popemobile for Benedict XVI in 2011. At the time, the Vatican felt electric cars were too slow for this role, but that likely won’t be a concern with the modern G-Class EV.

The lay version of the electric G-Wagen has a quad-motor powertrain producing 579 hp and 859 lb-ft of torque, which Mercedes estimates will get it from 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds and up to a top speed of 112 mph. The quad motors also enable a G-Turn feature that initiates 360-degre turns on low-friction surfaces, but it’s unclear if the Pope will make use of that feature.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class electric Popemobile

The powertrain was retuned for low-speed driving during papal appearances, such as the 2025 Jubilee in Rome where the Popemobile will make its debut, according to Mercedes. The roof was also cut back to make room for an open seating area, with a cutout where the tailgate would normally be for ingress and egress. The left rear door was also removed, the right rear door given a reverse hinge to act as another entry point, and the vehicle was given a pearl white paint job with matching upholstery.

While it is the first electric Popemobile, the G-Class is not the first EV in the Vatican fleet. General Motors presented Pope Francis with an Opel Ampera-e (the European sibling of the Chevrolet Bolt EV) in 2017, and Benedict XVI received a pair of electric cars from Renault in 2012. But the Mercedes will be the first to be used in an official capacity for public appearances.