King Charles has taken delivery of a new Lotus Eletre and was spotted using the electric hyper-SUV for the first time this weekend. The monarch and Queen Camilla were driven to Sunday service at St Peter’s Church near Sandringham in the vehicle, which he joked was “silent but deadly.”
The King ordered the Eletre last May but recent days mark the first public sighting of him using the car.
The Eletre represents Lotus’s first pure electric model and delivers between 592bhp and 888bhp depending on the variant. Prices start at £85,000 and climb to £140,000 for the top specification.
Even the entry-level version accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds while offering up to 373 miles of range. Lotus markets the vehicle as blending “racecar DNA” with SUV practicality.
The specific variant chosen by the King hasn’t been confirmed. The car features a bespoke Claret Red paint finish that matches other vehicles in the royal fleet.
Royal EV History
King Charles’s interest in sustainable technology extends beyond this latest acquisition. The Lotus Eletre becomes his second all-electric personal vehicle.
From 2018 to 2020, he drove a Jaguar I-Pace that was purchased directly from Jaguar and repainted in Loire Blue. He used the vehicle “sparingly” for two years before returning it to the manufacturer.
Jaguar subsequently sold the I-Pace through their used car program. The vehicle was auctioned in 2024 for £64,500.
The monarch has also modernized royal transportation infrastructure by installing EV charging points at multiple royal residences. Electric BMWs have been added to the broader royal fleet as well.
Expanding Lotus EV Lineup
The Eletre now shares Lotus’s electric portfolio with the Emeya hyper-GT, which uses the same platform architecture. The much-delayed Evija hypercar rounds out the range with its quad-motor setup promising more than 2,000bhp.
Lotus continues expanding their electric offerings as traditional sports car manufacturers transition to battery power across their lineups.
