When Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King recently waved goodbye to his Maserati Quattroporte, he did so in favour of a relatively anonymous-looking limousine whose main claim to fame is fuel efficiency. This time he spent ages comparing their environmental credentials before choosing a company car.
In the end, he chose a long wheelbase Lexus LS600h L, a petrol-electric hybrid car that is essentially a much larger and considerably more luxurious version of Toyota's popular Prius, complete with a reclining leather massaging seat and bundles of electronic gadgets.
Mr King spends between 20 and 30 hours per week in the back seat, both between meetings in London and during his commute from the Midlands.
It's just like business class 15 years ago," Mr King grins as the driver steers the £88,000 limousine up London's Fleet Street towards Trafalgar Square.
"I work a 14 hour day," he says. "I work from the moment I get into this car till the moment I get out of it."
Mr King is excited by the car's hybrid technology and eager to explain how a screen on the dashboard indicates when the car's powerful petrol engine is pushing the car forward, and when it is charging the batteries that feed its electric engine.
"Now we're running on battery," Mr King says as the car glides quietly past Nelson's Column.
"The Lexus does some 30 miles per gallon, which is fantastic for a car like this. Normally, it would be 16 or 17 miles to the gallon."
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