Pope Benedict XVI Shopping For Electric Popemobile
Published: December 1st, 2010
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According to Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, the Warlord of Vatican City, His Holiness “would certainly prefer an electric popemobile to a traditional, petroleum-powered one.” I suggest the 1976 Sebring-Vanguard Citicar!
Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.
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A common trope on automotive call-in shows is the retired geezer that drives up to 100 miles per month wanting to wait till 3,000 miles for an oil change. I think electric vehicles are a a better fit for the low-use crowd that wants to skimp on maintenance. I say Corbin Sparrow, or hold off for that Fiskar Karma (and ignore the model name).
Man, did that picture bring back some memories. Erie, PA, mid-70's, and I had constant use of my buddy's CitiCar. It definitely convinced me on the worthwhileness of an electric car for urban transport. It equally convinced me that the Sebring-Vanguard model was not the answer to the question. Basically a bodied golf cart with absymal brakes (as in the mechanism could snap, not under performing brake shoes), a cage of (memory don't fail me now) 2.5" or 3" steel tubing upon which thermoplastic sheets were pop riveted on, and a propane heater on the passenger floor. It worked, however. As long as the batteries held up. I probably understand the concept of range anxiety better than anyone posting on this board. Been working on some notes to revive my memories. Hopefully will be submitting an article on the vehicle sometime soon.
Duh - he needs to go old-school and get a Pope-Waverly! (pops)
Of course he should consider Top Gear's Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust. Hammond even stated with his head in the transparent (and very sturdy) 'headbox' that he felt like the pope already.