Pope gets first electric car

Pope Benedict XVI is presented with an electric car in Castel Gandolfo, in the outskirts of Rome, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. / AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano

(AP) VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI is now a bit greener.

The 85-year-old pontiff was presented with his first electric car Wednesday, a customized white Renault Kangoo for jaunts around the gardens of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

Benedict has been dubbed the "green pope" for his environmental concerns, which have been a hallmark of his papacy. He has written of the need to protect God's creation in his encyclicals, and raised the issue on his foreign trips and in his annual peace messages.

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Under his watch, the Vatican has installed photovoltaic cells on its main auditorium and joined a reforestation project to offset its carbon dioxide emissions.

But now the pope has his own ozone-preserving electric car, which he used on Wednesday to travel from the helipad at Castel Gandolfo through the gardens back to his palazzo. He was returning to his retreat in the Alban Hills south of Rome after presiding over his weekly general audience in the Vatican.

Earlier this year, Italian automaker NWG donated an electric car to the Vatican, but it was for the press office to use. Renault on Wednesday also turned over the keys to a blue version of the Kangoo for the Vatican gendarmes to tool around Vatican City.

Though Benedict's Renault is white and carries the papal seal on its doors, it isn't a popemobile. Mercedes-Benz, which makes the customized popemobile with bullet-proof windows for the pope to use on trips outside the Vatican, has been studying a hybrid, energy-saving model.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the pope's Kangoo isn't customized with such security features since it's designed for use inside Vatican territory at Castel Gandolfo.

In Italy, prices for the boxy Kangoo start at euro15,900 ($20,000), according to Renault's website.

[wolfmagic2012]

Is it just me, or does this guy (the Pope) look like one of the most evil men on the planet? That sure isn't the love of Jesus shining out of that guy.

[daffy64]

Is it jus ME, or are you judging somebody solely on their appearance?

Just wondering.

[rwsmith29456]

Does the Pope need a driver's license??

[formerlyluvnut]

Not in his own yard but he don't drive it anyway.

[john92021]

When is the news going to figure out that building an electric car uses way more energy, materials and resources than it saves. Just building the batteries uses more oil products and creates toxic waste that would never put him on the green side of the equation. If he is too old to walk from his helicopter (not green) to his residence he could dig out one of those chairs with the poles and let 4 of his body guards carry him there. I'm sure they still have a few in the basement so you wouldn't even have to make one and uses no oil and creates no toxic. That would put him on the positive side of the equation and then he would be green.

[formerlyluvnut]

Ahhhh yes, the life of poverty is a tough one indeed. This guy & Billy Graham, just to mention two, should be stoned.

[rwsmith29456]

Have you seen Billy Graham's home? It's nice and large enough, but it is just a plain old house. When he and his wife were first married, they lived in a log cabin. Also, in Graham's case, a vow of poverty is not required.