Leaf and death: This Nissan Leaf has been turned into a hearse
When undertaking is a requirement
Dying has just become a lot more eco-friendly with the launch of a new electric hearse by British firm Wilcox Limousines.
The Nissan Athena (so-dubbed by Wilcox) takes a standard 62kWh Nissan Leaf and makes some dramatic changes in order to make it fit both a seven-foot coffin weighing up to 230kg in the rear plus a driver and funeral conductor up front.
Despite the longer, taller bodywork, the Athena is only around 3% heavier than a standard Leaf, partly thanks to the removal of the rear doors and rear seat, and partly because of the lightweight materials used in the build.
First cutting away the Leaf’s roof and support pillars, and replacing them with light, strong, recycled carbon fibre, the rear section was also cut and extended by 80cm, giving it an estate-like profile to better accommodate the coffin.
The battery pack was also relocated rearwards for better weight distribution, with the rear-end braced and strengthened to take into account the changes to the overall structure.
The Wilcox Athena is somewhat smaller than other hearses, including the Bentley, Mercedes, Jaguar and Volvo-based models built by the firm, which typically have five doors and space in the rear for more funeral staff.
While the Athena may be less spacious than other hearses, it does have its own advantages.
“The Leaf hearse is ideal for the increasing number of people who are asking for a simpler and greener burial or cremation for their loved ones,” said Louis Wilcox, head of the Wigan-based firm, speaking to Move Electric.
As well as that, using a zero-emissions hearse allows funeral directors to more easily and cost-effectively work in areas such as London where electric cars are exempt from both the £15 Congestion Charge and £12.50 fee for driving a non-compliant vehicle inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, the latter of which may be due to expand to cover all of Greater London from next year (read more using the link above).
Performance, according to a road test by Move Electric, has not been significantly blunted compared to a standard Leaf due to the fact it doesn’t weigh very much more, and range hasn’t suffered terribly, either, with a claimed distance between charges of 210 miles (versus the 239 miles of the standard car).
In addition to changes to the body and payload, Wilcox is also in the process of adding another, perhaps unexpected, modification to make the Leaf better suited to funereal use.
“The conductor, who walks ahead of the hearse in a funeral procession, needs to know where the vehicle is without turning around,” said Louis Wilcox.
“With the Leaf, he could be half way along the road before he realises it hasn’t moved. To avoid any confusion, we’ll adapt the Leaf’s reverse ‘beeper’ to alert them.”
He admits, however, that the relatively high weight of electric cars, largely due to their battery packs, does still present problems for converters.
“Vehicle payload is the issue. We’re permitted to increase the official payload by up to 25% but that includes the weight of the conversion as well as of additional passengers. Because they’re heavy cars to begin with, electric cars have lower payload capacities than petrol or diesel ones, so the increase is barely enough to cover the additional passengers and modifications.”
Wilcox’s Nissan Athena isn’t the first electric hearse to go on sale in Britain though.
In 2020, the well-known hearse converter, Coleman Milne unveiled the Wisper, built in collaboration with German coachbuilder Binz and British manufacturer Woodall Nicholson. Manufactured in Germany, the Wisper is based on a Tesla Model S and, like the Wilcox Nissan, is strictly a two-seater.
With a range of 220 miles, the distance between charges is down quite a bit on the Model S on which it’s built, but it’s a well-executed design with the composite construction saving weight and preventing the range from falling further.
Prices for electric hearses aren’t cheap though, with the Wilcox Nissan starting from £109,950 — still quite a saving compared to the £145,000 or so for the company’s large Jaguar XJ-based model.
Deliveries have already begun, the first customer model going to London firm Leverton & Sons, with orders in place from other firms for 12 more.
Images: John Evans for Move Electric
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