The Vatican City State, home to the Pope, will replace its entire fleet of vehicles with EVs by 2030. Volkswagen will deliver fully electric cars, including the ID.3 and ID.4, to the Vatican State to support its transition to EVs.
The transition is part of the Vatican’s “Ecological Conversion 2030,” a long-term project to cut emissions from the State’s fleet.
As part of the project, the Vatican will gradually transition existing cars with electric ones for an all-EV fleet by 2030.
VW announced Wednesday it will be the chosen partner to advance the plan. Through Volkswagen Financial Services, it will begin supplying the Vatican State with a fleet of EVs starting next year.
The automaker will deliver just under 40 fully electric vehicles, including the ID.3, ID.4 electric SUV, and ID.5. Further electric models will be delivered at later stages until the entire fleet has transitioned to fully electric.
Volkswagen personally handed over the first two electric vehicles, both ID.3 Pro Performance models, at the Vatican.
The automaker did not release financial details or any further information about the partnership.
Meanwhile, after warning the world of man’s place and the impacts of human-caused climate change in 2015, Pope Francis issued an urgent update last month.
“The signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident.” Pope Francis explained the transition to clean, renewable energy sources was not happening fast enough.
He added, “It is verifiable that specific climate changes provoked by humanity are notably heightening.” The Pope pointed out that every 0.5° C rise in global temperatures increases extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and excessive heat.
The Pope highlighted that burning fossil fuels was the leading cause. He explained that “the abandonment” of fossil fuels is “not progressing at the necessary speed.”
Partnering with Volkswagen to replace the Vatican State’s fleet of vehicles with EVs is a small piece to a bigger puzzle.
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