Funeral Partners introduces electric hearse
The services use a modified version of a Nissan Leaf as a greener option than a traditional hearse
Funeral Partners has announced the introduction of electric vehicles to its fleet of hearses, allowing mourners in Devon and Torbay to have a more eco-friendly service.
The company is one of the first funeral businesses in the south west of England to introduce green vehicles. The vehicles have also been rolled out in Northern Ireland.
The services use a modified version of a Nissan Leaf as a greener option than a traditional hearse.
This option is available at Torbay and District Funeral Service and Drakes of Torbay Funeral Service, Maunders Funeral Service in Paignton, J H Way Funeral Services in Dawlish and Teignmouth, Exeter and District Funeral Service, Burnham Funeral Services and Richard Marsh Funeral Services in Highbridge, Somerset.
It is also available at James Brown and Sons branches in Belfast, as well as funeral directors in Newtownards, Bangor, Holywood, Carrickfergus, Larne and Donaghadee in Northern Ireland.
Sandra Murphy, area development manager for Funeral Partners in the south west, said: “More and more, you will find many of the deceased may have had an electric car themselves or lived a life where they were passionate about the environment or conscious about climate change, so being able to offer that opportunity can only be a positive thing.
“It looks almost identical to a regular hearse, just a little smaller with no middle seat, so you do not lose anything with the look and feel.”
David Salsbury, funeral service operative at Torbay and District Funeral Services, added: “It’s very quiet. When you pull up to a crematorium it feels very dignified and there is a genuine sense of serenity because of the lack of noise.
“We’re seeing more and more interest in funeral choices that may have a reduced impact on the planet such as eco burials – funerals which are very environmentally friendly – and I am sure the Leaf will be very popular there. People like to have a choice to feel they are making a difference in small ways with the choices they make every day that may be more environmentally friendly.”
