The Pope doesn’t seem to be very happy with his electric Volkswagens

Car manufacturers like to give the Pope gifts. For example, in 2017 he received a Lamborghini, which he immediately gave away. Now he accepts electric Volkswagens. Reluctantly…

Are we sure? NO. But looking at the press photo, we don’t get the impression that the Pope is overly enthusiastic. In the photo you can see Franciscus looking rather disinterestedly towards the horizon.

Pope looks demonstrative

He stands next to a few Volkswagen managers who look at him smiling (just smiles with his eyes) towards the lens and pointedly peers somewhere to the right (or actually to the left) into the distance.

Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 are disappointing

We understand Francis. The unlit sliders for the air conditioning in electric Volkswagens are not very user-friendly. The materials used in the interior are also disappointing.

Vatican climate neutral

It is striking that the Vatican does not want to make its fleet climate neutral until 2030. One might think that the “Vicar of Christ,” as the Pope is called, would be more in a hurry to save the world.

Whatever the case, every little bit helps, and so Volkswagen is now delivering forty electric cars to the Vatican and many more later. First there are ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, but later also other ID. models.

Popemobile through the ages

The Pope doesn’t have such an eco-friendly past, with Popemobiles like the Mercedes G-Class, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser 70 and Range Rover.

The Popemobile is, of course, different from the cars the Vatican needs. After the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981, the head of the Catholic Church stands behind bulletproof glass.

Pope in the humble Ford

When Pope Francis was still a cardinal, he often used public transportation. He then regularly drove a modest second-generation Ford Focus.