Photo: SWNS / metro.news
The pain of losing a loved one is great as it is; why add to it the guilt of emitting more air pollution on the way to the final resting place? Enter the electric Nissan hearse.
The hearse is actually a modified Nissan Leaf and is the brainchild of a funeral director in the U.K. The eco-friendly vehicle is now available at 16 funeral homes across Oxfordshire, along with other environmentally-friendly products like sustainable coffins and biodegradable urns.
The Nissan Leaf, now at its second generation, offers 100 miles on a single charge and includes driver assist. The adapted vehicle, the hearse, leaves little room for the driver so that he is actually sitting alongside a loaded coffin instead of in front of it. It also includes 2 large window panels that allow viewing of the coffin.
Mark Adams, COO of Midcounties Co-operative Funeralcare, tells Metro that the idea of using an electric hearse came to them after realizing that “many” of their customers were concerned about their impact on the environment even in times of absolute grief.
“We are pleased to give our customers a choice that will help them honor these beliefs,” he says.
“Our new eco-hearses are also a step forward for our continuous commitment to reducing CO2 emissions and aiming for a more sustainable future,” Adams adds. “We will keep on working and developing sustainability initiatives across all areas of the business to help secure a better future for the planet.”
While the idea is laudable, it’s not the first time it’s been put into practice. In fact, the previous model Nissan Leaf was turned into a hearse in 2017, by another funeral home. That one was too small as well, so the driver had to sit next to the coffin, from which he was separated by a beam. At the time we covered that story, 3 hearses of the type had been made and there were reports of more to come.
The Nissan Leaf, now at its second generation, offers 100 miles on a single charge and includes driver assist. The adapted vehicle, the hearse, leaves little room for the driver so that he is actually sitting alongside a loaded coffin instead of in front of it. It also includes 2 large window panels that allow viewing of the coffin.
Mark Adams, COO of Midcounties Co-operative Funeralcare, tells Metro that the idea of using an electric hearse came to them after realizing that “many” of their customers were concerned about their impact on the environment even in times of absolute grief.
“We are pleased to give our customers a choice that will help them honor these beliefs,” he says.
“Our new eco-hearses are also a step forward for our continuous commitment to reducing CO2 emissions and aiming for a more sustainable future,” Adams adds. “We will keep on working and developing sustainability initiatives across all areas of the business to help secure a better future for the planet.”
While the idea is laudable, it’s not the first time it’s been put into practice. In fact, the previous model Nissan Leaf was turned into a hearse in 2017, by another funeral home. That one was too small as well, so the driver had to sit next to the coffin, from which he was separated by a beam. At the time we covered that story, 3 hearses of the type had been made and there were reports of more to come.
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