- Pope Francis approved plans for a new electric popemobile made by Fisker.
- The modified Ocean SUV will feature an all-glass cupola for maximum visibility
- When Pope Francis took over the papacy he opted for a Hyundai popemobile.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Fisker, an American electric car startup, reached an agreement with the Vatican to design a new electric popemobile for Pope Francis.
Co-founders Henrik Fisker and Geeta Gupta-Fisker held a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City to show him the designs for a modified version of the company's Ocean SUV, the company said.
"I got inspired reading that Pope Francis is very considerate about the environment and the impact of climate change for future generations," Henrik Fisker said in a press release. "The interior of the Fisker Ocean papal transport will contain a variety of sustainable materials, including carpets made from recycled plastic bottles from the ocean."
Ocean will be "the world's most sustainable automobile," the company has said, with EV technology that will cut emissions by 80%.
In 2020, the price for an Ocean SUV started at $37,499. The current plan is for the SUVs to roll out to customers in late 2022 or early 2023; current customers have reserved their Fisker cars via pre-order.
This will be the first time a "popemobile," which is the colloquial term for the specially equipped vehicle that transports the pontiff and allows for him to see congregants from behind bulletproof glass, will be an electric vehicle.
Fisker said the design presented to the pontiff included a modern, all-glass cupola for maximum visibility.
Mercedes-Benz was formerly the typical manufacturer of the vehicle, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
However, Insider reported that in 2015, after Pope Francis took over the papacy, he broke Mercedes-Benz's 80-year streak of making popemobiles and went for a Hyundai instead.
In November of 2019 during a papal visit to Japan, Pope Francis used a Toyota-designed carbon neutral vehicle to underscore his environmental platform, according to the AP.
"Pope John Paul II was the first Pope to use a Popemobile. However, the idea originally stems from a mobile version of the papal throne used for centuries," the USCCB noted.