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<p>After secret meetings with Pope Francis, Fisker will reportedly develop an electric popemobile – a term the Vatican has repeatedly urged everyone to stop using. The vehicle is set to arrive next year and will be a heavily modified version of the brand’s upcoming electric ocean crossover.</p>
<p>Pope Francis has long presented himself as a surface-level environmentalist with absolutely terrible taste in the automotive field. He added two Toyota Mirais to the garage of the Status Civitatis Vaticanae in 2020, while expected to flip a Lamborghini Huracán (built especially for him by the company) in 2018. His purported sanctity is also said to be part of the Fiat 500L, Nissan Frontier, and Isuzu D-Max – though he often drives around in locally produced customs to ingratiate himself with the crowds he visits. Provided they have met the needs of the trip and specifically cater to the Pope’s preferences, he is not picky. <span id=)
According to Fisker, this meant adding extra eco-conscious features to the ocean like a recycled plastic carpet and solar roof. The automaker had a private audience with Frances and his company on Thursday, and the design was agreed for development, according to Reuters.
While most popemobiles traditionally required bulletproof glass, Francis ditched some of his vehicles and plans to use plain old glass for the dome of the ocean. He claims that at his age he is not particularly worried about an assassination attempt, despite the fact that his private security team (the Pontifical Swiss Guard) consists of 135 armed men.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jen Psaki recently stated that electrifying the presidential sedan had become a priority for Joe Biden. After his public (commercial) approval of Ford’s F-150 Lightning, Psaki was asked by reporters if Biden would consider electrifying General Motors’ sedan known colloquially as “The Beast.”
“That is surely something the President has spoken about and which is a goal for him,” she replied.
Given the car already weighs over 15,000 pounds, it’s hard to imagine the track going through a single parade before it needs to be recharged. There is also no obvious place to install the batteries as the vehicle is already heavily armored, including the landing gear where these battery packs would need to be installed.
More realistically, the sedan could be hybridized – it offers the practical benefits of gasoline and gives the White House the ability to redesign a vehicle to pretend it had done something environmentally relevant. Switching to a hybrid powertrain even offers potential logistical advantages. However, we don’t think Psaki thought about the physics behind it and probably just answered the question in the only way that is consistent with the administration’s stated environmental and infrastructure goals.
[Image: Lamborghini; Fisker]