The emission-free electric vehicle will be recharged by the co-op using renewable electricity.
Called the Wisper, the black Tesla- based hearse will enable families to say goodbye to their loved ones in a more environmentally responsible way.
The entirely silent hearse is zero- emission 19ft long, and has a 220-mile single-charge range.
It will operate across almost all 60 funeral branches run by Southern Co-op, including those in Gillingham, Sturminster Newton and Shaftesbury.
Steve Pearce, Southern Co-op’s Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services, said: “This day has been a long time coming with delays caused by the pandemic and waiting for it to be approved for use on the UK’s roads. We hope this will offer people an elegant alternative which echoes a 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.”
As well as the hearse, 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.
These models offer the ability to run the vehicles in full electric mode for an entirely silent funeral procession.
