A hearse to die for: Get buried in style in this stretched Tesla Model S by RemetzCar

By Bruce Brown Published October 9, 2016

tesla stretched hearse remetzcars s 1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s probably better not to wait for your first Tesla ride to be in a hearse. If that’s your plan, however, two European companies have created a Tesla Model S funeral vehicle that carries and displays a full-sized casket, according to Electrek.

Vander der Lans & Busscher BV, a Dutch funeral transport company, has been creating custom hearses since 1896. Their current portfolio of possibilities includes a hearse built to be pulled behind a bicycle, a small camper trailer hearse conversion, a Fiat 500 conversion, a London taxi conversion, and hearses converted from a wide range of new and classic luxury cars and SUVs.

Recommended Videos

Vander der Lans & Busscher commissioned Dutch stretch limousine conversion company RemetzCar to stretch a Tesla Model S that the funeral vehicle company could then outfit as a hearse. RemetzCar, founded in 1996, is 100 years younger than Vander der Lans & Busscher. The first limo RemetzCar created was a six-door Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan.

The initial step in the Tesla hearse conversion was to remove the Tesla’s battery pack. The luxury car was then cut in half and stretched 31.5 inches to accommodate a rolling platform for a full-size casket. A new, higher roof for the hearse adds height for a coffin as well as huge picture windows for the sides and back as well as a two-section sunroof.

Electrek first covered the RemetzCar Model S hearse when the two companies announced it, but at the time the only images available appeared to be Photoshopped. Now, however, a complete set of images, a list of all specifications and options, and a video of the conversion process are available on the RemetzCar site.

The RemetzCar Tesla S Hearse was built to be displayed at the Funeral Exhibition 2016 in Gorinchem in the Netherlands in late September. You can watch the conversion video of the world’s first electric, zero-emission hearse here.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…

Cars

Tesla Model 3 vs. Tesla Model Y: Bigger or cheaper?

A Tesla 3 sits parked beside an urban waterfront.

Tesla has a bit of a head start on the competition. Say what you will about panel gaps and its CEO, there's no denying that Tesla made the electric car cool -- and all in the pursuit of making them affordable enough to mass produce. And, while its lowest-priced cars aren't cheap, Tesla largely achieved that goal. The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are its most affordable cars right now, and they offer that unmistakable Tesla design, with good battery and charging tech, plus a focus on a high-tech infotainment system.

But which of the two cars is actually better? Or, if neither is better, which is right for your needs? We put the two head-to-head.
Design
Tesla uses a relatively uniform design language across its lineup, and the result is that the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y look very similar. In fact, the Model Y looks exactly like what it is: a larger version of the Model 3.

Cars

Volkswagen ID.4 vs Tesla Model Y

volkswagen id4 vs tesla model y 2021 id 4 blue charging

The electric car world is seriously heating up, with a number of high-end electric crossovers now available, albeit still at a higher price than comparable gas-powered cars. The Tesla Model Y is one of the first of these, offering the Tesla design, a high-tech software experience, and more. But another one of the older of these models is the Volkswagen ID.4, which was first released in 2021 and also offers among the better electric car experiences out there.

Can the ID.4 compete with one of the best-selling electric cars out there? We put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The first thing to compare between these two cars is design, and they take a slightly different approach.

Cars

The Tesla Model Y is far from my favorite EV, but I’m pretty close to buying one

Tesla Model Y One Millionth Car

I may finally be on my way toward buying my first EV. Sure, I've tested dozens of electric car models over the years, but despite that (or perhaps because of it), I have yet to buy one. But my family is growing, and my wife and I aren't so sure about carting our future kids around in an aging car that lacks the safety features of modern vehicles.

Because of the fact that we're expecting our kid in January, we have a bit of a deadline. So what are we leaning toward? Well, despite the fact that it's far from my favorite EV, we may actually end up just getting a Model Y.
Timing makes a difference
If the baby was coming along in a year's time, things might be completely different. There are a few reasons for that.