Pope Leo checks out Ferrari's first all-electric car

Pope Leo XIV inspected Ferrari’s first all-electric vehicle, the Luce, during a visit to Castel Gandolfo alongside company chairman John Elkann. The debut of Ferrari’s new EV drew attention for its departure from the brand’s traditional sports car design.

Reuters

28 May 2026 at 05:57:05

Pope Leo XIV arrives for the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, May 27, 2026.

Yara Nardi/Reuters

Pope Leo got behind the wheel of Ferrari’s first all-electric car at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome on Tuesday (May 26).

The pope, a well-known car enthusiast, inspected the newly launched Luce model with Ferrari Chairman John Elkann, who was joined by company executives and engineers.

Elkann donated the car’s steering wheel to the Pontiff as a tribute.

The new Ferrari model is a four-door, five-seat family car that looks nothing like the Italian marque's usual fare of low-slung, petrol-powered sports cars.

It was unveiled at a gala event in Rome late on Monday, then shown the next day to Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Pope Leo.

Milan-listed Ferrari shares fell 8.4% on Tuesday, with one investor telling Reuters the stock was "being penalised for an aesthetic disappointment."

Production: Liliana Ciobanu/Reuters