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Pope Francis received an unusual memento of his trip to Japan last year.
Toyota turned two of its hydrogen-powered Mirai models into “Popemobiles” for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan to use during the papal visit and one of them has now been delivered to Vatican City for use in the Holy See’s carpool.
The Mirai is powered with electricity generated by a non-polluting hydrogen fuel cell, which only emits water vapor. It was deemed appropriate transportation for the Pope, who has made environmental matters a top priority of his ministry.
The car has had its rear seat and trunk replaced with a standing platform that’s equipped with handrails and a halo of overhead lighting. It is not bulletproof, as is the preference of Pope Francis.
The Mirai has a starting price of $59,545 in the U.S., but is only available in California and Oahu, Hawaii, due to the lack of a hydrogen-fueling infrastructure in other areas. It has a range of 312 miles between fill-ups that take around five minutes, which is much quicker than recharging an electric car.
Toyota has also been testing the technology for use in Class 8 tractor-trailers and recently announced plans to put one on sale through its Hino brand in the coming years.