The popemobile, a vehicle or a mode of transportation that is used by the Pope, is to get a new variant. For the first time, the Pope will be getting an all-electric popemobile. There will be some minor changes to the car, as sources report.
The EV will be from an EV manufacturing startup named Fisker. The implementation of the new EV comes after the transition of the world towards a greener mode of transportation.
More In-Depth On The Electric Popemobile
As mentioned before, Fisker, an EV manufacturing startup will be responsible for the making of the special popemobile. The vehicle will be fully electric and will be a safe car, duked with bulletproof glass, and many more. Pope Francis, the leader of the Church, has spoken about environmental issues, and how they should be dealt with. So, he will trade his popemobile for an EV from Fisker that fully runs on a battery.
The pontiff, that is the Pope, met with the founders of Fisker, Henrik Fisker, and Geeta Gupta-Fisker to show the initial renderings of the electric vehicles. The vehicle most likely will be presented to the Pope by the fourth quarter of 2022, next year. The popemobile will be similar to the Fisker Ocean SUV that might hit the market by 2022 also.
An Introduction On Fisker
In brief, Fisker is a California-based startup that specializes in electric vehicles. They have some cars in the concept phase, the Fisker Ocean SUV being the basis of the popemobile. The first model of the company was called Fisker Karma, it is a luxury plug-in hybrid car.
Henrik Fisker, one of the founders of the company, said, “I got inspired reading that Pope Francis is very considerate about the environment and the impact of climate change for future generations”. The connection and intent of meeting the pope were made through “a mutual friend [who] arranged the meeting”.
The Pope’s History With Cars
The Fisker Ocean SUV will be the second sustainable vehicle that the Pope will get from a company. Previously, Toyota, the Japanese carmaker, delivered a customized version of the Toyota Mirai. The Mirai is a hydrogen-powered car, which is friendly to nature, and at the same time produces water instead of any harmful chemical.
But, the Popemobile from Toyota cannot be spotted that much, due to the lack of refill stations for hydrogen-powered cars. Currently, there are only 3 hydrogen-powered cars in the world, one being the Mirai.
Usually, the Pope rides a custom Popemobile provided by Mercedes Benz. The first variant of the Merc Popemobile was given to Pope Pius XI in 1930. Gradual changes have been made to the vehicles that the Pope uses, from the transparent viewing area to the increase in security and safety after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
Granted, nowadays, Pope Francis prefers to use simple cars and is not that outspoken about them. One of the main noticeable cars that the Pope drives is the small Fiat, which has a unique registration of SCV 1.
More On The Fisker Ocean SUV
The new Ocean from Fisker will also have the normal features of a Popemobile. The model will feature a bulletproof glass canopy, which is a hand-built cupola for the Pope. Moreover, the bulletproof glass canopy will be hidden. The Pope will be able to raise the canopy when he wants to with a push of a button.
The Ocean SUV also some with a fast-charging system. This quick charging system will prove important when the Pope is on the move. The retail version of the car will be able to do 0 to 60 in 3 seconds. Moreover, it can also charge to 80 percent of the battery power within 30 minutes or less.
One another factor that makes the Fisker Ocean SUV much suitable for the green-mined Pope is that it is “the most sustainable vehicle in the world”. The SUV is powered by a battery, and at the same time uses recycles items like soft-drink bottles, plastics from the ocean, instead of using the traditional leather interiors.
Henrik Fisker also commented saying, “the Pope even signed the sketch I did of the Ocean in an Italian café nearby, before the private meeting”.
As for Henrik Fisker, he is a well-tested man in the car-making industry. In the early 20s, he was a pioneer in hybrid plug-in vehicles. But, due to some technicalities in sales and marketing, the company went bankrupt but came back up from the ashes. Henrik Fisker is also a pioneer as a designer. He previously worked on popular models like the Aston Martin DB9, and the BMW Z8.
Ending Note
It will be good to see more EVs in the market. Especially for Fisker, who will have a lot more attention than they had in 2008. It will be fun to look at what Fisker will be able to produce.
