Of Course King Charles III Drives An Aston Martin That Runs On Wine And Cheese
Recently crowned King Charles III is well known for being a staunch champion of the environment; as the former Prince of Wales, he used his platform to speak about climate change and solutions ranging from clean energy to organic food farming. At first glance, this seems to be at odds with the royal family's penchant for rare vintage cars, including those by Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin. However, ascending to the British throne has its perks if you're trying to decrease your carbon footprint.
Along with his access to the royal family's luxury car collection of Bentleys and Rovers, the king has owned an Aston Martin MK II DB6 Volante for more than 50 years. Speaking to the BBC, the then-Prince of Wales revealed that the classic car had been converted to run on bioethanol made from "surplus English white wine and whey from the cheese-making process." The gourmet bioethanol is mixed with unleaded petrol to create carbonless fuel for the car, per The Guardian. Its other upside, besides reducing emissions, is that it smells better than gas-fueled cars.
The King's commitment to the environment extends beyond his personal vehicle
The then-Prince Charles insisted on the fuel conversion, even threatening to drive a different car if it wasn't done. Aston Martin was reluctant to adjust the fuel lines, as King Charles explained to The Telegraph, but the manufacturer later admitted that the car now "runs better and is more powerful" than it would have on gas alone. With assistance from a British-based company called Green Fuels, which developed the wine-and-cheese bioethanol, Aston Martin performed the engine conversion. The biofuel is E85, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gas (or petrol, if that's your thing) and is normally made from corn in the U.S.
But the king didn't stop with his personal vehicle. He also took a "long time to battle" with the engineers responsible for the Royal Train to switch up how the diesel engine works. It now runs on eco-friendly bio-diesel made from leftover vegetable oil, all in an effort to further minimize the royal family's carbon footprint.