Her erotic fiction has made her millions . And it seems that E. L. James , author of the Fifty Shades Of Grey trilogy , has a new passion in her life . The 52-year-old was spotted driving her £79,000 Tesla Model S electric car during a shopping trip to John Lewis . Miss James – whose real name is Erika Leonard – swapped her modest Mini for the battery-powered luxury sedan , which boasts a top speed of 150mph and can do 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds . Scroll down for video . Fifty Shades author E. L. James was spotted driving her £79,000 Tesla Model S electric car during a shopping trip to John Lewis . She and her husband Niall spent an hour treating themselves to some retail therapy at Brent Cross , North London , on Friday afternoon . And they can well afford it – the former TV executive made £33 million last year , or over £90,500 a day , from sales of the trilogy , which tells the story of sadomasochistic billionaire Christian Grey and his affair with student Anastasia Steele . The sum is almost four times more than the reported £8.6 million earned by Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling last year . The couple , who have two sons , live in a £2.7 million , six-bedroom property in Ealing , West London . Since the first book ’ s publication in 2011 , the Fifty Shades Of Grey trilogy has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into 52 languages . The film version , directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Jamie Dornan , has taken £365 million since its release last month . As well as topping bestseller lists , the novels have spawned lucrative spin-off products , including two blended wines , Red Satin and White Silk . The battery-powered luxury sedan , which boasts a top speed of 150mph and can do 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds . The former TV executive made £33 million last year , more than £90,500 a day , from sales of the trilogy , pictured ( left ) with actress Dakota Johnson and director Sam Taylor-Johnson .
Fifty Shades author robin L. James was spotted in her new £ 79,000 electric car . She swapped her Mini for the battery - powered luxury luxury Model S. she boasts top speed of 150 mph and can do 60 to 60 in 3.2 seconds . Former TV has made £ 33 million last year , more than £ 90,500 a year .