KING Charles has ordered a British-made £160,000 electric Lotus car.
His move will spark speculation that he will ditch the state Bentleys if the company cannot provide plug-in versions.
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Charles intends to use his top-spec Lotus Eletre — painted in traditional Royal Claret — as a personal runaround on one of his country estates.
It is thought that using the colour, which adorns the Royal Family’s official fleet of state cars, was the idea of the late Queen Mother.
An insider said: “The King has always liked eco-friendly vehicles but seems conscious that royal claret is the right look even when off-duty.
“It will look far more professional for the King’s personal car to match the state vehicles.
“The Palace has hinted that if Bentley can’t make limousines for official use run on electric, then they would look at other manufacturers.
“The fact Lotus can produce an electric SUV in royal claret really puts them in the driving seat.
“The Royal Family had a Lotus Eletre last year on loan and it clearly ticked some boxes.”
The King — increasingly spotted at his homes at Balmoral, Sandringham, and Highgrove — has most recently been using a £100,000 eco-friendly Audi Q8.
The 164mph Lotus is made in Hethel, Norfolk — just a few miles from Sandringham and its home since 1966.
Lotus is 51 per cent owned by Chinese company Geely.
In last summer’s annual review Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said: “The two existing state Bentleys will undergo refurbishment in the coming year to enable them to run on biofuel.
“This is likely to be an interim measure as we begin discussions around the next generation of state vehicles being fully electrified.”
