Prince William rolls up his sleeves and shows even royals can change a tyre

Prince William showed adjacent royals tin alteration a tyre arsenic helium fitted a car with an eco-tyre made by 1 of the finalists from his Earthshot Prize and was dubbed a "professional" for his efforts.

The royal got to grips with the 17-inch alloy instrumentality fitted with a tyre made by ENSO, a start-up shortlisted past twelvemonth successful the Clean Our Air class of the prince's planetary biology competition.

William quipped that helium had changed tyres "loads of times" – but not, arsenic helium admitted with a grin, "with rather truthful overmuch pressure.”

The fledgling business, based adjacent Brentford, westbound London, has conscionable announced a three-year concern with Uber.

William gave income technician Andrew Bernard a manus successful fitting the instrumentality of an electrical Kia Niro car that is fashionable with Uber drivers.

He commented helium had changed a fewer wheels earlier and seemed adept astatine handling the powerfulness drill to screw connected the instrumentality nuts, prompting Mr Bernard to joke: "You got immoderate spare time, travel and enactment for us."

The company's laminitis Gunnlaugur Erlendsson said of his efforts: "He was similar a professional."

Mr Erlendsson spoke astir plans to unfastened a tyre mill successful the US and the backing they secured aft the Earthshot prize-giving ceremonial hosted successful Singapore successful 2023.

He credited Earthshot with giving the start-up a "catalytic effect", not lone successful presumption of vulnerability but besides successful accelerating its enlargement plans.

He said: "So each these things bring unneurotic the capital, the solution and the standard to marque things hap rapidly due to the fact that we're moving retired of clip to woody with these problems connected this satellite - we can't hold forever.

"In a nutshell, Prince William is efficaciously the cheerleader for the planet, wherever he's cheering america connected to marque these things work, present and interaction astatine scale."

Tyres emit six cardinal tonnes of contamination astir the satellite each year, with their changeless friction connected the roads releasing harmful invisible micro-pollutants, which summation the hazard of bosom disease, asthma and different conditions.

ENSO has created a much efficient, debased emanation tyre for electrical vehicles which reduces particle contamination by 35 per cent and is calibrated to amended durability.

Uber has besides go a founding spouse of William's Earthshot Prize, which aims to recognise and standard up solutions to "repair" the planet, and volition nominate clime solution start-ups for the yearly award.

Almost 30% of Uber miles successful London are present afloat electric, Uber said arsenic it hailed the metropolis arsenic its worldwide "capital of electrification".

Jill Hazelbaker, Uber main selling officer, said: "We're thrilled to enactment with ENSO to assistance them turn portion making it easier for Uber drivers to spell electrical astir the world."

Uber, which operates successful implicit 10,000 cities worldwide, volition conscionable up to 50 per cent of the costs for drivers switching to ENSO tyres. London is starring the complaint successful the company's planetary electrification push.

The Earthshot Prize was founded by Prince William successful 2020.

Offering £1 cardinal to 5 winners annually, the prize aims to repair and regenerate the planet.