He’s already the proud owner of some of the world’s most iconic luxury cars, from classic Aston Martins to stately Rolls-Royces, but now King Charles is making a bold new statement by embracing electric power in style.
The monarch, famed for his passion for the environment, is reportedly set to splash out a staggering £160,000 on a brand-new Lotus Eletre – an all-electric ‘hyper-SUV’ that combines supercar performance with green credentials.
The King is said to have ordered the futuristic vehicle in the traditional Royal Claret livery reserved for royal and state cars.
The state-of-the-art SUV is said to be destined for use on one of his lavish country estates, reports The Sun.
Described by Lotus as an ‘all-electric hyper-SUV with racecar DNA,’ the flagship Eletre R boasts a jaw-dropping 900 horsepower and offers a claimed range of up to 319 miles.
The latest addition to His Majesty’s garage is being hailed by green campaigners as a powerful symbol of royal endorsement for electric vehicles (EVs), especially as Britain’s car industry wrestles with strict government mandates to go electric or face hefty fines.
But for King Charles, this isn’t his first move into electric motoring.
In 2018, he took delivery of a Jaguar I-Pace – Jaguar’s first electric model – finished in Loire Blue. That car, however, was auctioned off last year.
The monarch, famed for his passion for the environment, is reportedly set to splash out a staggering £160,000 on a brand-new Lotus Eletre
King Charles III arrives in his Bentley State Limousine to inspect the 200th Sovereign’s parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 14, 2023
Newlyweds Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge in Charles’s Aston Martin
The King’s taste in automobiles goes far beyond the modern electric age.
He’s long been known for his love of classic British engineering, famously owning a 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante, gifted to him by the Emir of Bahrain. It was auctioned for charity in 1995.
Still part of the royal fleet is a cherished Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante, a 21st birthday present from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2008, it was famously converted to run on bioethanol – made from ‘wine and cheese,’ the King once quipped. In reality, it’s fermented plant waste.
And the King also evidently has an affection for the classic Rolls-Royce Phantoms, with at least three of them reportedly kept in the royal mews.
All painted in Royal Claret, these V8-powered beasts include a 1961 Phantom V limousine, formerly a state car, and a 1962 landaulet model inherited from the Queen Mother, complete with a retractable rear roof so the public can catch a better glimpse of the King.
It’s a fine line between personal passion and official duty.
King Charles III is greeted by Sir Kenneth Olisa, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London as he arrives, in his chauffeur driven Bentley State Limousine
Royal vehicles used on state business remain number plate–free, while privately owned motors, like the King’s growing eco-fleet, bear DVLA registrations.
Fans note that the decision to purchase the green car is in keeping with King Charles’s long-standing environmental ethos.
Last summer, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Stevens, revealed that even the state Bentleys will soon be adapted to run on biofuels, pending discussions about an all-electric future for the royal fleet.
Lotus, the historic British marque behind the King’s latest motor, is now 51 per cent owned by Chinese giant Geely, which also controls Volvo and the makers of London’s iconic black cabs.
