French automaker Renault has given Pope Benedict XVI an electric car to whizz around and within the Vatican grounds and his summer home of Castel Gandolfo, the Holy See said.
The new white Pope-carrier, a Kangoo Maxi Z.E. model bearing the pontifical crest of arms on its side, may also be used to shuttle the Pope between churches outside the Vatican, spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
Pope Benedict, who is a vocal defender of the environment, backed the project, set up two years ago to “promote a form of clean energy,” Cardinal Lombardi said.
A second car, which is blue, will be used by the Vatican’s police force.
The vehicles were presented to the Pope at Castel Gandolfo by Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn, before being unveiled to the press.
When asked whether the automaker is considering producing an electric Pope-mobile to be used during the Pontiff’s trips abroad or for long distances, Renault’s head in Italy, Jacques Bousquet, said it would present a security risk.
“There’s a problem in terms of power and security, because a completely electric car would not have sufficient acceleration power in the case of a security problem,” he said, giving an attempted attack on the Pope as an example.
The new cars, which are 100 per cent electric, are silent and emit no pollutants whatsoever, Renault said in a statement.