Renault donates electric vehicle to “Green Pope”

Pope Benedict XVI received quite a gift this week as Renault presented him with a fully customized white Kangoo, an electric car manufactured by the French auto maker. The "Green Pope," as he's affectionately known, has a strong focus on environmental issues, going so far as to have solar panels installed on the Vatican's main auditorium. This electric car isn't the first on Vatican property, but it is the first for the pope. Italian auto maker NWG donated one of their cars to the Vatican earlier this year, and Renault has donated another blue Kangoo as well. We're still awaiting news of a big race at some point.

It's important to note that this electric car won't replace the current bullet-proof Popemobile, but will instead be Pope Benedict's personal vehicle to drive around his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. So basically, it's a glorified golf cart that retails for 15,900 Euro ( rughly $20,000) in Italy. Mercedes, who makes the official Popemobile, is currently working on a hybrid model specifically for the environmentally conscious pontiff.

This article was written by Shawn Schuster and originally appeared on Tecca

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