King Charles will shift the royal fleet of cars to electric vehicles under new plans unveiled by Buckingham Palace.
The eco-conscious King intends to swap the royal collection of vehicles for green alternatives in the “next few years” in a bid to reduce the Palace’s impact on climate change.
As part of the eco-drive, 27 electric vehicle charging points could soon be installed across the historic Buckingham Palace grounds, with royal officials planning to roll out electric cars across the other royal households.
The King previously used the Royal Family’s first all-electric car, an EV400 HSE Jaguar I-Pace.
In a letter to Westminster City Council, the Royal Household said: “After trialling the EV chargers for a few years, The Royal Household intends to take a step forward and shift their car fleet from petrol to electric vehicles.
“This proposal, not only aims to address the reduction of carbon footprint at Buckingham Palace grounds, but as well, aims to support the needs of visitors, staff and local residents.”
The letter adds that “if the trial proves successful, the infrastructure upgrade will be implemented in all the Royal Household sites.”
Electric vehicle charges had already been installed at historic Kensington Palace and at the Royal Mews in Marlborough House.
The monarch had also installed electric vehicle chargers in the grounds of Windsor Castle earlier this year.
According to a report attached to the Palace’s Sovereign Grant, which funds the Monarch’s official duties, the royal court has made steady progress in reducing its carbon emissions.
Alongside electric vehicles, it has explored using Sustainable Aviation Fuels for official visits.
“Travel emissions will continue to fluctuate each year depending on requests from Government for tours involving long-haul charter flights,” the report states.
“There has been proactive work to increase the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, but availability remains a challenge.
“There has also been steady progress in transitioning to an almost fully electric motor vehicle fleet.”
The King has previously been an outspoken champion of green causes, with one of his first speeches as Prince of Wales at the age of 21 warning of the dangerous effects of plastic pollution on the environment.
A date for the electric vehicle charging points to be given a sign-off by officials at Westminster City Council has not yet been finalised.
