According to British press, the Duke of Edinburgh will be carried to the ceremony in a modified Defender 130 Gun Bus. What makes the vehicle even more special is that it was concepted and commissioned by Prince Philip himself back in 2005, following a 45-minute conversation with Jaguar Land Rover. Army engineers are reportedly already working to convert the vehicle for its funeral duty. The use of a hybrid-electric vehicle comes as part of a wider plan for the Duke’s eco-friendly funeral. Prince Philip will also be laid to rest in a woollen coffin. According to reports, one of Prince Philip’s final wishes was that “they just stick me in the back of a Land Rover, and drive me to Windsor.” The British Royal family have a long standing relationship with Jaguar Land Rover. The Queen has often been seen driving in a variety of Range Rovers over the years, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle departed from their wedding in a 1968 Jaguar E-Type that had been converted to electric power.
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 19, 2018 Low emission funeral cars are nothing new. Back in 2016, funeral transport firm Vander der Lans and Busscher BV based in the Netherlands, commissioned a Tesla Model S to be turned into a hearse in response to increasing demand for such a vehicle. Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up? Then you need the weekly SHIFT newsletter in your life. Click here to sign up.
