17-05-2025
King Charles orders £160k UK-made electric car sparking speculation he'll DITCH iconic state Bentley
KING Charles has ordered a British-made £160,000 electric Lotus car.
His move will spark speculation that he will ditch the
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King Charles has ordered a British-made £160,000 electric Lotus car
Credit: © David Dyson
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Charles intends to use his Royal Claret Lotus Eletre as a personal runaround on one of his country estates
Charles intends to use his top-spec
It is thought that using the colour, which adorns the Royal Family's official fleet of state cars, was the idea of
An insider said: 'The King has always liked eco-friendly 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.
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'The Palace has hinted that if Bentley can't make limousines for official use run on electric, then they would look at other manufacturers.
'The fact Lotus can produce an electric SUV in royal claret really puts them in the driving seat.
'The Royal Family had a Lotus Eletre last year on loan and it clearly ticked some boxes.'
The King — increasingly spotted at his homes at
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The modern classic Lotus Elise
In last summer's annual review Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said: '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.'
