Britain's first fully electric traditional hearse is now available to provide eco-friendly funeral services.
Called the 'Wisper', it produces zero emissions and will operate across almost 60 funeral branches run by Southern Co-op, being recharged at its sites using electricity from renewable sources.The ground-breaking vehicle is based on the Tesla Model S.
Southern Co-op says it will 'enable families to say goodbye to their loved ones in a more environmentally responsible way'.
"It's important we all work together to tackle climate change," explained Mark Smith, Chief Executive at Southern Co-op.
"We are delighted to now be able to offer customers the choice of a more environmentally favourable funeral fleet and to take the next step on our sustainability journey together.
"The appetite for change is there within our communities so, by making it easier for loved ones to make more informed choices, people can play their part in making a positive difference to our environment and our communities."
Southern Co-op operates just under 60 funeral branches across Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire.
As well as the Wisper, Southern Co-op is also the first funeral business in the UK to take delivery of two new hybrid Mercedes E-Class Limousines and two new converted E class Mercedes hybrid hearses.
Steve Pearce, Southern Co-op's Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services, said: "There is only one other existing electric hearse in the UK and it is much more compact so we hope this will offer people an elegant alternative which echoes a more traditional appearance.
"It will also compliment an existing range of other eco-friendly products we offer as we all work together to tackle climate change and make a difference to our environment."
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