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King Charles’s Vintage Aston Martin Runs on Bioethanol Made from Wine and Cheese Waste

Experts say the conversion is a personal, symbolic move rather than a practical route to cutting transport emissions.

Overview

  • Coverage published Thursday, June 25, 2026, revisits the long‑reported fact that the King’s DB6 MkII Volante was converted to run on bioethanol made from surplus English white wine and whey from cheese production.
  • The conversion is credited to Gloucestershire firm Green Fuels working with Aston Martin specialist RS Williams Ltd and was first described publicly by King Charles in a 2021 BBC interview.
  • Former royal butler Grant Harrold and other sources recount the King’s strong personal attachment to the Seychelles Blue car, saying he rarely lets others drive it and once gave strict instructions that caused a “big hoo‑ha.”
  • Transport experts quoted in the stories, including Greg Archer of T&E and consultant Dr Chris Malins, call the modification a bespoke, one‑off example and warn that high‑blend biofuels at scale can drive harmful land‑use changes.
  • The pieces frame the car as a vivid human‑interest symbol of the King’s long‑standing green advocacy while underscoring that the technical fix does not address wider policy or emissions challenges in road transport.