With an ambition to be net zero by 2029, Central Co-op is beginning the process of electrifying its funeral fleet.

Starting with trials of two electric hearses and four electric limousines, the fleet team wants to understand if test vehicles will be fit-for-purpose.

Central Co-op operates a funeral fleet of 330 vehicles, including 77 hearses, 109 limousines and 44 pool cars, serving more than 100 funeral homes.  

With the pool car fleet already including 12 electric Vauxhall Corsas, Central Co-op is currently focusing its electrification strategy on the ceremonial fleet, where it currently has 20 Ford Mondeo hybrids in operation, but the vast majority are internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Lee Dillow, senior funeral productivity and change manager at Central Co-op, is looking forward to putting the new electric vehicles (EVs) through their paces.

“The new electric vehicles are a huge step forward, not just from an operational perspective, but also in terms of moving towards a more sustainably fuelled fleet,” he says. “It’s massive for us and for the wider industry.”

New vehicles ‘great for morale’

The all-electric ceremonial vehicles, from vehicle converter Colman Milne, are based on the Ford Mustang Mach-E platform.

The Etive hearse and the limousine are powered by a 75kWh battery, which is capable of delivering an estimated range of up to 200 miles, compared with up to 273 miles on a standard Mach-E.

Colman Milne says that both cars are also capable of a 10-80% recharge in 38 minutes, with rapid charging at speeds of up to 115kW.

Speaking to Fleet News at an event for funeral care staff to experience the new EVs, Sarah Maynard-Enock, senior procurement manager at Central Co-op, highlights how well they have been received by staff.

“It’s been great for morale,” she says. “They’re really excited to be able to drive something so very new and different from what they’ve had before.”

The test vehicles are due to be deployed in Birmingham and Peterborough at the end of July, with feedback from those trials helping to shape their wider rollout across the business.

Central Co-op will be focussing on how the vehicles perform in service, how they drive, their reliability and charging patterns.

However, with its ceremonial cars travelling about 8,000 miles per annum, the low mileage should be beneficial to charging demands.

Furthermore, while Central Co-op has more than 100 funeral care homes, just 35 have fleet vehicles on site.

It says it was important to choose a partner that recognised its funeral business consists of a complex and varied estate and would ensure that the charging solution offered, meets the requirements of each individual site.

It was also vital, says Central Co-op, for it to be able to explore a variety of solutions that could be linked to its back office, without requiring to commit to an EV charging manufacturer whose solutions may not be suitable at every location.

Site surveys are initially being conducted at its main locations, with further surveys planned to support the decision around what upgrades may be required.

New fleet management provider

Its charging infrastructure needs are being assessed by NG Bailey through a new fleet management partnership forged with fleet leasing and management company Zenith.

Historically, Central Co-op funeral vehicles have been sourced through several different fleet management providers with a range of replacement cycles.

Vehicles have also been funded via a mix of contract hire and purchase hire as well as being purchased outright. 

However, changing how vehicles have been acquired has been a priority for the business. Dillow explains: “We’ve been working on bringing it all under one fleet management provider.”

Central Co-op has chosen to work with Zenith going forward which, according to Dillow, will allow the business to have clear lease lengths by vehicle type, whether that is an ambulance, a pool car or a ceremonial vehicle.

It will also enable the procurement team to be clear about its requirements, be that a full EV or a hybrid solution.

“All of the pool vehicles are EVs from here on in, but our ambulances will need to be operationally fit-for-purpose,” Dillow adds.

In the future, it intends to take a nine-year lease on ceremonial vehicles, while ambulances and pool cars will be replaced every five years.

Depending on the availability of vehicles to join the Central Co-op funeral fleet, its ambition is to be net zero by 2029.

However, electrifying its fleet of 50-plus ambulances, which are used to transport the deceased to funeral homes, will be more difficult than its ceremonial fleet.

“Ambulances are the ones that are the challenge, just because of the mileage and they're in operation 24 hours a day,” admits Dillow.

Colman Milne is using the all-electric Vauxhall Vivaro-e for its removal ambulance conversion, with rise and fall decking allowing one person to put four deceased people in the back of the vehicle.

Putting those vehicles through their paces and assessing how they perform in the real world will be next on Central Co-op’s electrification agenda.

Electric Etive hearse and limousine

Colman Milne has modelled the Etive range, which is named after a river in the West Scottish Highlands, on the Ford Mach-E platform.

Priced just under £150,000, the electric Etive Hearse comes with options including a power lift tailgate, a full-size sliding deck, illuminated signage and a slide out under-draw deck. Mounted outside is an aerodynamic wreath rail with added roof protection.

The zero emission Etive limousine, meanwhile, is designed to carry seven passengers in addition to the driver and is available with full privacy glass,

The same advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that are fitted to the Ford Mach-E are equipped to both vehicles, such as Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Aid and Pre-Collision.

It also has Ford’s Sync Applink infotainment system and a 15.5-inch central touch screen, with a rear-view camera, keyless entry, under bonnet luggage compartment and 10.2” digital dashboard fitted as standard.

The Etive, which comes with an eight-year battery warranty, joins a model line-up at Colman Milne that includes a plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes E-Class and the Whisper hearse, which based on the Tesla Model S platform and engineered in collaboration with sister company, Binz International.

FACTFILE

Company: Central Co-op Funerals

Head office: Litchfield

Senior funeral productivity and change manager: Lee Dillow

Senior procurement manager: Sarah Maynard-Enock

Fleet size: 330 vehicles, including 77 hearses, 109 limousines and 44 pool cars

Funding method: Mix of contract hire, hire purchase and outright purchase