King Charles to upgrade Royal Family's Bentleys to run on biofuels ahead of electric car switch

This follows annual accounts for the Royal Household published earlier today showing that the Royal Family would be moving forward with new environmental measures.

It found that the monarchy will receive an extra £45million in funding next year (2025-26) as a result of a surge in profits from six new offshore wind farms.

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The Royal fleet of vehicles includes two state-of-the-art Bentley State Limousines, which were given to the late Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

The two Royal vehicles are designed to protect the Royal Family from any threats, with the cabin being blast-resistant and the ability to create an air-tight seal in the event of a gas attack.

Even the tyres are reinforced with Kevlar to minimise the risk of being attacked and to ensure it can still be driven at speed in an emergency.

The cars, which were funded by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), were delivered to the Royal Family on May 29, 2022, in recognition of the late Queen's service and a celebration of British manufacturing.

When the vehicles were first introduced, they were capable of running on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to extend the range of the car and dramatically reduce its output of emissions, according to the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace.

Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, said the new changes were "small steps" but acknowledged the "significant impact" it would have on carbon emissions.

He added: "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," The Times reported.

King Charles has long been considered a sustainable petrolhead, with a keen passion for cars, as well as environmental practices to keep emissions down.

The King is believed to be the first in the Royal Family to invest in an electric vehicle with a slick Jaguar I-Pace EV400, which he purchased in 2018.

The vehicle was featured at a Historics Auctioneers sale earlier this year, where the electric vehicle fetched £64,960, with 35,000 miles on the clock and is the only I-Pace to be produced in Loire Blue, per the King's request.

King Charles also has an Aston Martin DB56, which was a gift for his 21st birthday, which runs on wine and cheese through E85 bio-ethanol produced on his Duchy of Cornwall estate.

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Speaking to the BBC, the King said it runs on "English white wine and whey from the cheese process", making it more environmentally friendly than regular petrol and diesel vehicles.

Alongside the vehicle measures, Buckingham Palace will see historic gas lanterns turned off, with further plans to install heat pumps and solar panels at Windsor.