The Vatican’s EV Fleet Charging Managed by Elli Mobility

On April 14, 2026, VW announced that the Vatican has selected Elli, the energy and charging brand of Volkswagen Group, as a mobility service partner for its expanding electric vehicle fleet. Through Elli’s charging card and digital fleet management platform, the Vatican will enable its service vehicles to charge across Europe while centrally managing charging activity, costs, and energy usage. Elli Mobility will serve as the operational backbone, supporting fleet customers with integrated mobility services. The partnership marks another step in the Vatican’s long-term sustainability strategy to transition its vehicle fleet to climate-neutral mobility by 2030.

“Fleet electrification is accelerating across Europe, and institutions are looking for reliable partners to manage this transition. The Vatican illustrates that the real work of electrification begins after the vehicles are delivered,” says Giovanni Palazzo, CEO of Elli. “Our role is to translate the ambition of sustainable mobility into reliable day-to-day operations. This enables organisations to operate electric fleets efficiently across borders and to fully realise the economic benefits of electrification.”

In recent years, the State of Vatican City has steadily advanced its electrification efforts. In 2024, nearly 40 fully electric vehicles from Volkswagen’s ID. family were delivered as part of the transition, followed by additional electric utility vehicles in 2025. As the fleet continues to evolve, EVs are expected to play an increasingly central role in Vatican mobility operations.

With Elli Mobility’s charging card, employees of the Governorate of Vatican City State will gain access to more than one million public charging points across Europe. This enables seamless charging during official travel beyond Vatican territory, supported by transparent pricing across AC, DC, and IONITY infrastructure. The model allows for predictable costs and stronger financial oversight.

At the same time, the Vatican will deploy Elli’s digital platform, Elli Fleet Charging, to centrally manage charging cards, sessions, and billing. Fleet administrators can monitor usage, track energy consumption, assign access digitally, and export data for accounting and reporting.

This move reflects a broader shift in corporate mobility. Fleets account for roughly two-thirds of new vehicle registrations in Europe, making electrification one of the most effective levers for reducing operational CO₂ emissions while improving efficiency and transparency. However, the transition requires new digital tools and operational frameworks.

An Elli Mobility survey conducted in Germany in August 2025 highlights the gap. Around 26 percent of companies still rely on basic tools like spreadsheets for fleet management, while another quarter use no dedicated digital systems, leaving efficiency gains unrealized.

Today, more than 20,000 companies across Europe use Elli Mobility solutions to manage fleet infrastructure and services. The company positions itself as a key partner for organizations navigating fleet electrification, helping integrate EVs into existing operations while managing the complexity of mixed fleets.

First Electric “Popemobile” from Mercedes-Benz

In May 2025, EVinfo.net reported that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago was elected on May 8, 2025, as the 267th pope, taking the name Leo XIV. Pope Leo spoke about supporting renewable energy.

For nearly a century, Mercedes-Benz has been the Vatican’s trusted automotive partner. In December 2024, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the first-ever fully electric Popemobile, based on the iconic G-Class G580 with EQ Technology, marking a historic moment in both automotive innovation and the Church’s embrace of sustainability.

This fully electric Popemobile is not just a symbol of prestige but one of progress — designed specifically for the slow, ceremonial journeys of the pontiff. The electric drivetrain, boasting four near-wheel motors, has been customized to provide smooth, precise movement during public appearances, allowing Pope Leo XIV to engage more directly with the faithful.

In this photo, Pope Francis, was seen in the Mercedes EV Popemobile in December 2024 in Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, located southeast of mainland France and west of Italy.