Eco-warrior King Charles has been spotted in a brand new £170,000 electric vehicle for the first time after making changes to his former gas-guzzling fleet. On Sunday, the 76-year-old monarch was pictured in the back of his new motor, a BMW i7 M70 xDrive, as he was driven to St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate.
The state-of-the-art vehicle was purchased in February and boasts a 341-mile range on a single battery and can race from 0-60mph in just 3.7 seconds. It comes as the King is looking to swap the royal fleet for green alternatives in a bid to reduce the Palace’s carbon emissions.
Charles previously used the Royal Family’s first all-electric car, an EV400 HSE Jaguar I-Pace, which was delivered in 2018 but was auctioned off last year.
Last month, the household is understood to have placed an order for a Lotus Eletre.
The £160,000 is an all-electric ‘hyper-SUV’ that combines supercar performance with green credentials.
The King has long been an environmental champion, campaigning for conservation, organic farming and voiced concern on oil pollution and plastic waste.
Last year, Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse, said the royal household was looking to convert the two state Bentleys to enable them to run on biofuel as an interim measure before adopting a fully electric fleet.
The annual sovereign grant report also unveiled plans to fit the first solar panels at Windsor Castle, followed by heat pumps, and replace gas lanterns at Buckingham Palace with electrical fittings.
