King Charles has been seen for the first time in his new £170,000 electric BMW i7 M70 xDrive during a trip to Sunday service at Sandringham.
It is the latest public move in the 76-year-old monarch’s quest to overhaul the Royal Family’s fleet in a more ecologically conscious direction.
Charles was seen waving from the back of the top-of-the-range vehicle as he arrived at St Mary Magdalene Church at the weekend - an event where Queen Camilla was notably absent.
Long a champion of green causes, the King purchased the BMW earlier this year as part of his plan to transition royal vehicles away from fossil fuels as much as possible.
King Charles was seen in his new top-of-the-range eco BMW for the first time at a Sandringham Sunday service
Getty
The BMW joins a growing number of electric and hybrid cars in the royal household.
Last month, King Charles added a £160,000 electric Lotus Eletre to his multi-million-pound car collection, expected to be used at one of His Majesty's country estates.
Charles is thought to have chosen a traditional Royal Claret livery for the all-electric motor that adorns other royal and state vehicles.
The 900 model chosen by the King features a powerful 900hp electric motor and boasts a range of up to 319 miles on a single charge.
The new vehicle is part of King Charles' overhaul of the Royal Family's fleet of cars
BMW
Looking to the future, Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, revealed in last summer's royal household financial review: "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."
This is not the King's first foray into electric vehicles. In 2018, Jaguar had the honour of supplying the first EV to the Royal household with an I-Pace model decorated in Loire Blue paintwork.
Charles also chose to convert his beloved Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante, gifted by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on his 21st birthday, to run on bioethanol in 2008.
Charles has added a number of electric cars to the royal fleet and converted his beloved Aston Martin to run on biofuel
PA
"I hardly have a chance to drive it now, but that now runs on waste products, can you believe this, surplus English white wine and whey from the cheese process," the King joked.
His classic motor’s fuel is actually produced by fermenting sugar and starch from plant by-products.
Charles has embarked on other environmental initiatives across his royal residences to reduce Royal Family's emissions footprint.
To help keep his new electric vehicles supped up, charging stations have now been installed at Kensington Palace, the Royal Mews in Marlborough House, and in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Charles has long been a supporter of ecological causes
Getty
Solar panels have been installed at Clarence House, Highgrove and Windsor Castle.
His Birkhall estate is now also heated by biomass boilers that use wood chippings.
Buckingham Palace’s swimming pool are now kept at a lower temperature to eliminate unnecessary power usage.
As Prince of Wales, Charles converted his Highgrove estate into an organic farm with a strictly limited use of antibiotics and harmful chemicals allowed.
Most Read
