New electric vehicles for Pope Francis and the Vatican

Less odour, less pollution: the switch to electric mobility in the Vatican is making progress. In future, 14 new electric vehicles will be travelling the many hilly roads in the green Papal States. As the Vatican City government announced on Monday, four golf cart-like vehicles from the Melex brand will go to the fire brigade and the police. Ten compact electric vehicles from Goupil will be available to the Vatican City State. The manoeuvrable small vehicles with a loading area the size of two Euro pallets are suitable for the sometimes very narrow roads in the smallest state in the world.

Pope Francis can also look forward to having more electric cars in his own fleet. The umbrella brand Exelentia presented the head of the church, who has limited mobility, with two vehicles tailored to his needs. These are not the Pope's first sustainable means of transport - in December, Daimler presented him with a new papamobile: a fully electric Mercedes G580 in a customised pearl white design. The "climate pope" Francis is known for his concern for the environment.

The Vatican City wants to switch its state vehicle fleet completely to electric cars by 2030. The vehicles are to be powered by electricity from renewable energy sources. To this end, the Vatican is planning its own charging network inside and outside the state territory. 20 "fast" and two "ultra-fast" charging stations have been available to drivers in the Vatican since December. The renewable energy comes from photovoltaic systems in the Vatican, among other sources. A strategic partner for the project is the German car manufacturer Volkswagen. (KNA)