Classy gas! Prince Charles mocked after saying his car runs on wine and cheese
London, UK - What a waste of perfectly good grub!
British heir to the throne Prince Charles has revealed that his beloved Aston Martin DB6 drophead has been converted to run on surplus wine and cheese, prompting much ridicule on social media.
The royal told the BBC his blue 1970 sports car uses E85 fuel produced using a blend of 85% ethanol, food waste, and 15% unleaded gas – a combination that is as impractical for the common driver as it is unsustainable, according to experts.
"My old Aston Martin, which I've had for 51 years, runs on - can you believe this - surplus English white wine and whey from the cheese process," the royal told broadcaster BBC in an interview aired on Monday. The future king also said he doesn't eat meat and dairy products on certain days of the week to alleviate his personal carbon footprint.
The interview was meant to bring attention to climate change, but instead, came off as slightly tone-deaf.
News of his alternative fuel was met with mockery on social media, with many Twitter users joking that they too run on wine and cheese.
"I for one never have surplus wine," wrote another user.
The royal's revelation also comes at a time when British drivers are facing fuel shortages and forced to wait in line for hours to fill their gas tanks, prompting some on social media to call this Charles' "let them eat cake" moment.
Environmentalists, meanwhile, say that ethanol production takes land away from food production. Growing corn for ethanol also involves large amounts of synthetic fertilizer and herbicide.
Prince Charles is a long-standing environmental campaigner and has expressed support for Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Aston Martin previously dubbed the royal's DB6 "a sustainable green machine in line with his myriad eco-friendly endeavors."
However, Greg Archer, UK director of T&E, a European clean transport campaign group, has since criticized the royal use of biofuel.
"Prince Charles's quaint solution to decarbonize his Aston Martin using a high blend of bioethanol made from cheese and wine wastes should not be mistaken for a serious solution to decarbonize vehicles," Archer told the Guardian newspaper.
Ethanol is usually made from by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plant byproducts from sugarcane and grain, with yeast added. Environmentalist Archer said growing crops just for fuel usage leads to deforestation and worsens the climate crisis.
Other critics on the internet are just seeing it as wine and cheese that's going to waste.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/i Images, 123rf/alabn & rudi1976