King Charles was seen riding in a new top-of-the-range black BMW i7 M70 xDrive as he was driven to a service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate
The King has been spotted in a brand new £170,000 electric BMW as he continues to swap his fleet of royal cars for greener alternatives. Charles was seen riding in the back of his new top-of-the-range black BMW i7 M70 xDrive after buying the vehicle earlier this year.
It was his first outing in the new motor, with the monarch opting to use it to be taken to a Sunday service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate at the weekend. The eco-conscious King has long been a champion of nature and green causes and previously spent years as Prince of Wales trying to drive action on environmental issues.
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The green BMW is the latest electric car to be added to the King’s fleet, which is now said to include a £160,000 Electric Lotus.
It is believed Charles has ordered the Lotus Eletre painted in the traditional Royal Claret livery, which is seen on other royal and state cars, to be used at one of his country estates.
He first purchased an electric car back in 2018, when he splashed out on an EV400 HSE Jaguar I-Pace. He has since revealed that his cherished vintage Aston Martin DB6, a 21st birthday present from the late Queen, has also been converted to run on biofuel.
In a 2021 interview, when asked if he was a “bit of a Clarkson” and a “petrol head”, Charles replied: “Yes, but that was before we knew what the problems were.
“But my old Aston Martin, which I’ve had for 51 years, I’ve managed to convert. 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.”
Meanwhile, last year at the annual review of the royal household’s finances, Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, revealed the two existing state Bentleys would also be refurbished to run on biofuel, with fully electric state cars a possibility for the future.
It comes as other steps the King has taken to reduce his carbon footprint have included installing solar panels on Clarence House and at Highgrove and Windsor Castle, turning down the heat at the Buckingham Palace swimming pool and using biomass boilers that use wood chippings to heat his Birkhall estate.
The King once explored his passion for environmental causes in his 2010 book called Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World, which called for a shift in how we interact with nature.
However, the King previously admitted that he was becoming “a frustrated old man” with his attitude towards the global climate emergency. He said the world must rely on the younger generation if it wants to avert an environmental catastrophe in the next few years.