Fourteen new EVs for the Vatican

The Vatican will get new electric vehicles for its Gendarmerie and fire department, as well as areas. The vehicles will be delivered by Italian company Exelentia.

As mentioned above, the order is for 14 vehicles. Four of those are Melex 343 electric vehicles to move people, the remaining ten are Goupil commercial vehicles. The Vatican does not mention the exact model. In either case, both models have striking similarities with golf carts.

Two of the Melex 343 will be used by the Vatican’s Gendarmerie. There is no mention of where the other vehicles will be used. Moreover, Exelentia says it will donate two EVs to the Vatican on top of the current order.

The Melex 343 can seat up to four people and has a top speed of 43 kph. Range is said to be 110 km on one charge.

In addition to the gradual replacement of cars with electric vehicles in the Vatican City State by 2030, a plan first announced in 2020, the charging network for electric cars is also to be expanded inside and outside the territory, the Vatican announced.

As early as 2015, the Pope was driven around in a hybrid vehicle. And just last year, the Pope got a new Popemobile based on the all-electric G-Class.

vaticannews.va (in German)