Vatican City cleans up its act with new electric Popemobile for Pope Francis – and it’s a Vauxhall
Pope Francis is handed keys to Opel Ampera-e as he bids to make Vatican City the first CO2-free country in the world
THE Pope has a long history with cars thanks to the specially kitted-out Popemobiles that ferry him to events in safety around the world.
A Fiat Panda, Mercedes M-Class and Jeep Wrangler have all been used in the past - and now Pope Francis has been given the keys to an all-electric model.
The latest car on the church fleet is the Opel Ampera-e - the white paintjob matching the Pope's traditional outfit.
Opels are re-badged Vauxhalls but the Ampera-e won't actually be available in the UK after the previous generation flopped with buyers.
Instead it'll be on sale in Europe and already exists in the US as the Chevrolet Bolt.
MOST READ IN MOTORS
The all-electric SUV has been chosen as Pope Francis looks to make Vatican City the first CO2-free country in the world.
As part of the project, the Vatican, Opel and Italian energy company Enel pledged to work on a sustainable mobility programme for the city state.
And given that Vatican City is around half a mile wide and half a mile long, the 323-mile range of the Ampera-e will mean Pope Francis can drive for days without ever needing to recharge.
Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann, who presented keys to the Ampera-e at the Laudato Si sustainability conference, said: "We are proud that we as Opel can contribute to the ambitious goals of the Vatican City.
"Our new Ampera-e will make electric mobility feasible for everyday use without any compromises.
The Ampera-e costs around 35,000 Euros (£30,000) but its association with the Pope could see that value rocket.
Last year, a Fiat 500L that transported Pope Francis through his Philadelphia visit sold for $82,000 (£63,000) - about four times its normal price.