Tesla Model S-derived hearse revealed to cater for ‘eco-funerals’

Funeral car maker Coleman Milne can make your final journey smoother and quieter with a new electric hearse adapted from the Tesla Model S.

The BINZ.E was created by German luxury hearse manufacturer BINZ International in 2017 and will now come to the UK through a collaboration between the two companies in response to a “growing trend” for environmentally friendly funerals.

Based on the Model S, the BINZ.E is produced in Germany, with a “pioneering” compression composite sandwich construction used to stretch the electric saloon. It also strengthens the Model S’s body and achieves “an exceptionally high-quality finish”.

The result creates a sporty yet traditional-looking hearse that has all the Tesla-derived benefits of zero tailpipe emissions and a 220-mile range. That's 20 miles more than is offered by its main rival, the Nissan Leaf-derived Brahms’ electric funeral car.

It's unclear which Model S powertrain is used for the BINZ.E, but it’s likely that the base 75d (generating 415bhp to achieve a 0-60mph time of 4.2sec) will be more than sufficient.

Customers will also benefit from the Tesla app, allowing users to control and monitor charging via their smartphones, plus other as-yet-unspecified vehicle functions.

Coleman Milne said the electric hearse will appeal particularly to funeral directors seeing a greater demand for ‘eco-funerals’ and customers operating in Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) and Clean Air Zones (CAZ), where conventional hearses have to pay tax.

The managing director of Coleman Milne, Lee Hudson, said: “Funeral directors and their customers are increasingly selecting funeral arrangements with a greater focus on environmental protection. Our new BINZ.E will provide a key component in the growing trend for these eco-funerals.”

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