AN all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E has been turned into a hearse by British conversion specialists Coleman Milne

The Bolton based company has unveiled a new ceremonial range including limousines based on the top-selling Ford SUV.

Called the Etive range, named after the river of the same name in the West Scottish Highlands, the vehicles combine the latest in EV technology and Coleman Milne's standards of quality to produce the company's first full size, zero emissions hearse and limousine pairing.

Both vehicles are offered to the UK and European markets in left and right-hand drive configuration and will be available for demonstration in the first half of 2023.

Type approval for the model is set to be achieved by the end of the first quarter of this year.

The Etive range will undertake accelerated structural durability testing at the Millbrook testing ground in Bedfordshire in the coming months to validate its integrity across 40,000 miles of road usage.

"We have long championed the electric hearse at Coleman Milne," said Graham Clow, national sales director at Coleman Milne. "We're proud to welcome the Etive hearse and limousine as the latest additions to our range.

"The excellent, longstanding relationship that we have with Ford enabled us to model the range on its Mach-E platform. The Mach-E is the perfect base for a comfortable, quiet and respectful hearse and limousine, while also providing funeral directors with all the benefits and innovations found in today's electric vehicles."

The battery electric Etive Hearse provides everything an operator would expect from a full-size hearse. This includes noiseless operation, a flat, full-length deck with ample space for personal tributes, three full-size bearer seats with lap and diagonal seatbelts, and a glass roof.

Operators can customise the hearse for their own requirements.

Options include a power lift tailgate, a full size sliding deck, illuminated signage and a slide out under-draw deck, maximising accessibility. Mounted outside is an aerodynamic wreath rail with added roof protection.

The zero emission Etive limousine has been built with passenger comfort at its core, incorporating an additional 114mm in overall vehicle height.

Designed to carry seven passengers in addition to the driver, the vehicle is luxuriously appointed and is available with full privacy glass, and as an option, can include a middle door drop glass.

Both the hearse and the limousine contain a 75kWh battery, which is capable of delivering an estimated range of up to 200 miles compared to the 273 miles of a standard Mach-E.

Capable of a 10-80 per cent recharge time of 38 minutes, the vehicles have rapid charging at speeds of up to 115kW.

The same advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that are fitted to the Ford Mach-E are equipped to both vehicles within the range, such as lane departure warning, lane keep aid and pre-collision.

Ford's SYNC Applink infotainment system allows drivers to project their favourite smartphone navigation apps to the 15.5-inch central touch screen, with a rear-view camera, keyless entry, under bonnet luggage compartment and 10.2-inch digital dashboard also fitted as standard.

Coleman Milne says every Etive comes complete with a manufacturer guarantee and eight-year battery warranty.

The company's expertise in ceremonial vehicle electrification saw it become the first converter to introduce mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric hearse and limousine models to market.

The Etive joins a model line up which includes a plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes E-Class and the Whisper hearse, based on the Tesla Model S platform and engineered in collaboration with sister company, Binz International.