Pope Francis Rolls into Singapore in Style: The Ioniq 5 Hyundai Motor Takes Center Stage as the Pontiff’s Popemobile

Pope Francis concluded his 12-day visit to the Asia-Pacific region with a visit to Singapore, where less than 10% of the population identify as Catholic.

One notable aspect of his trip to the region — the longest foreign visit of his papacy — was his preference for locally made cars, eschewing bulletproof vehicles. In Singapore, the Popemobile was the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Following his trip to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea, the 87-year-old arrived in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon.

Throughout his three-day stay in the city-state, the Pope used the Ioniq 5 Prestige, manufactured at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), one of the automaker’s innovation laboratories worldwide.

While in Singapore, the pontiff met with government officials, religious leaders, and students.

On Thursday night, he celebrated Mass with 50,000 people in the National Stadium.

As a global icon, Pope Francis was welcomed by believers and non-believers alike, wherever he went.

A Long-Time Advocate for Environmental Protection

Pope Francis has long been an advocate for action to protect the environment and climate change, and the Vatican has committed to transitioning all of its official vehicles to electric by 2030.

HMGICS, which began operations in June 2023, also produces autonomous robotaxis based on the Ioniq 5 platform and the Ioniq 6 sedan.

The Prestige 58 kWh model can travel 6.6 km per kWh, with a maximum range of around 380 km on a single charge. It can reach 80% charge from 10% in 18 minutes.

By riding the Ioniq 5, Pope Francis underlined his commitment to sustainability, using his papal platform to promote the world’s transition to greener technologies.