Switched-on Charles wants an electric car
Tesla test-drive on Scottish estate seals friendship with businessman who shares his beliefs on environment
THE Prince of Wales has long been keen to make cars eco-friendly – 10 years ago, he converted his Aston Martin to wine-based fuel. Now, he aims to go a step further and introduce an electric car to the royal fleet, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
Prince Charles has test-driven a luxurious Tesla on his Scottish estate – and in the process made an unlikely friend in Kimbal Musk, the cowboy hatwearing younger brother of Tesla chief executive and Silicon Valley magnate Elon.
The Prince personally hosted Mr Musk, who sits on the board of Tesla, and his fiancée at Dumfries House in Ayrshire over several days while he test-drove a black Tesla Model S. Mr Musk said the Prince shared his “frustration” at being seen as out of touch over his views on sustainable food, and “anger” that people have been “poking fun at him”.
The Prince’s office then engaged in discussions about securing the car. Clarence House made the initial approach to Tesla, asking for the test drive, and the discussions have included plans for Tim Williams, the Prince’s head driver, to visit a Tesla showroom and select a car.
While the Prince later hosted the Tesla board member again at Clarence House, it is understood his fleet’s new electric additions are more likely to be provided by Jaguar Land Rover, which holds the royal warrant. A spokesman for Clarence House said: “There is definitely a plan for us to incorporate electric cars into the royal fleet.” He added there were ongoing discussions with Jaguar Land Rover about how and when the cars could be included.
Daniel Shakhani, a social impact entrepreneur who has been involved in the Tesla discussions, said: “Bringing an electric car into the royal fleet would positively reflect the Prince’s commitment to his work on climate change.”
Mr Musk co-founded The Kitchen, a restaurant group focusing on farm-totable food. He bonded with the Prince over their love of what he calls “real food”, which “you trust to nourish your body and the planet”. In an exclusive interview, he told The Daily Telegraph the Prince had been “a warrior for decades. He has been so passionate about this, and the food companies have said it’s not possible, the customer doesn’t want it.
“And he was so happy to see me working on it, Jamie [Oliver] working on it – and he was so angry at the major players that have really been making fun of him for years.”
During the visit, the Prince gave Mr Musk a signed copy of his book on food. He was “very impressed” by the Tesla and asked to get his own, said Mr Musk. He added that the Prince expressed “frustration” at being seen as out of touch. He said: “You can’t necessarily be a commoner if you’re the next king of England, but you can be right.”
‘He was so angry at the major players that have really been making fun of him for years”