Although King Charles already owns a stable of luxury cars, including a cherished Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante, he wanted to add to his collection – and opted for a Lotus Eletre
King Charles has again displayed his green credentials by choosing a electric vehicle (EV) as his latest motor.
The monarch, 76, has ordered a high-performance Lotus Eletre, noted for its advanced sustainable materials. Described as a “hyper-SUV”, the car – which Lotus typically markets at £120,000 – is destined for one of Charles’s country estates.
Charles already has a stable of luxury cars, including a cherished Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante, a 21st birthday present from his mother, Queen Elizabeth. However, the King has long been a champion of environmental causes and the Eletre has been praised in motoring circuits for its green credentials.
The car is painted the traditional royal claret, a decision for which Charles has been praised. The father of two reportedly ensured this was the case because it was “the right look, even when off duty”.
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A source told The Sun: “The King has always liked ecofriendly 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, they would look at other manufacturers.”
The Lotus Eletre can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 162mph. The vehicle, which Lotus introduced in 2022, has a 280-mile range from a dual-motor powertrain producing 905 horsepower.
While the Eletre was designed at the Lotus Tech Creative Centre in the Midlands, it was manufactured in Wuhan, China. The Geely group, which is a Chinese multinational, owns 51 per cent of Lotus, the British sports and racing car company.
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Green campaigners have reportedly welcomed the monarch’s King’s move to buy an EV. They have hailed it as a royal endorsement for net zero cars, especially as the UK moves to ban pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030. There is speculation that the King might ditch Bentleys as state cars if a plug-in version cannot be found.
Royal vehicles used on state business remain number plate-free, but privately owned cars, such as the King’s growing eco fleet, have DVLA registrations.
Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, last year said the two existing state Bentleys would be refurbished so they could run on biofuel and that official cars could eventually become EVs. The Lotus Eletre, which is considered a move by the carmaker from boutique sports cars into the broader luxury market, has received mostly positive reviews.
