Volkswagen recently signed an agreement with the Vatican City State to replace its entire fleet with electric cars (EVs) by 2030. This project is in line with the Vatican’s goal of being carbon-neutral and embracing renewable energy. The Vatican’s fleet, which currently comprises conventional internal combustion engine automobiles, is slated to undergo a transformational move towards sustainability with Volkswagen’s ID.3 and ID.4 electric cars. The initiative also includes the installation of charging infrastructure within the city walls and on Vatican sites across Rome, making the switch to EVs easier for users.

Volkswagen’s deal to revamp the Vatican fleet will be powered by its ID.3 and ID.4 electric cars. These models come with high-capacity batteries and are promising electric vehicles based on their size and the corresponding price. To propel the conversion to these EVs, the Vatican will also install charges across its properties in Rome. These charging points will then be available to Vatican employees for use.

As for the Pope, Pope Francis currently travels in a Ford Focus or a Fiat 500, as opposed to the fully armored vehicles of his predecessors. While the Pope’s particular EV model is unknown, the Vatican will surely use battery-powered cars for his mobility in the time to come. With that, he will likely be ditching the official ‘popemobile’ – a Mercedes, too.

Volkswagen and the Vatican’s partnership will work towards the goal of replacing the whole fleet with eco-friendly EVs by 2030. The Vatican’s commitment goes beyond the car switch to include the installation of charging infrastructure throughout Vatican assets and supporting staff adoption of electric transportation.