Mercedes-Benz is making a hybrid Popemobile for Benedict XVI, often dubbed the ‘green Pope’ by Italian media.
According to the German weekly paper Wirtschaftswoche, it is expected the green Popemobile would be ready for Benedict’s visit to Germany in September.
Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi told news agency AFP that the car, which is currently under development, will not be ready before the end of next year.
According to the report, the new Popemobile will be based on the four-wheel drive M Class Mercedes with a hybrid electric-petrol motor.
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery will allow it to drive 30 kilometres (16 miles) without any polluting emissions.
A move towards a hybrid car was first revealed in December when Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the governorate of Vatican City State, suggested the pontiff was “prepared to use an electric Popemobile,” as long as it was efficient and reliable.
The pope would not be allowed to use a purely electric-driven car as the Popemobile must have the capacity to take off swiftly in case of emergency, the paper said.
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