CLEAN AIR - What does the Government's
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
What does the
Government’s
CLEAN
AIR strategy mean for
funeral fleets?
The Government's clean air The charge will apply to drivers we help funeral directors to afford
strategy, which was published of petrol cars that do not meet the to meet these new requirements for
in January, describes reducing Euro 4 emission standards - which funeral vehicles.”
pollution from nitrogen oxides generally means cars registered before
2005 - and diesel vehicles which do The Government’s strategy on road
(NOx), which come mainly
not meet the Euro 6 standard, which transport includes a pledge to stop all
from diesel vehicles, as its most
generally means anything registered sales of new conventional petrol or
immediate challenge.
before September 2015. diesel powered cars and vans by 2040.
However, responsibility for reducing As a result, registrations of new diesel
NOx emissions has been devolved In October 2021, the ULEZ will cars fell 30% last year, according to
mainly to a local level. London is expand to cover all roads inside the the Society of Motor Manufacturers
North Circular and South Circular. A and Traders (SMMT).
leading the way, introducing an Ultra
similar scheme in France now covers
Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in However, the European Automobile
a number of major cities, including
April 2019, which will require some Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)
Paris, Lyon, Marseilles, Grenoble,
motorists to pay £12.50 a day to drive is confident that modern diesel
Lille, Strasbourg, Toulouse and
into the existing congestion charging Chambery. cars could have a key role to play in
zone, on top of the current £11.50 helping achieve air quality targets
charge. “As well as London, Birmingham, and reducing CO² emissions, after
Southampton, Oxford, Leeds, Bath, new research that shows that many
For vehicle operators running Glasgow, and more, all have low new diesel cars are already achieving
specialist vehicles on longer emission zone plans that are coming the highest emissions standards.
replacement cycles, which is likely into operation this year and next,” says ACEA, which represents 15 major
to include some funeral directors, Steve Cousins of Brahms Electric Europe-based car, van, truck and
this could have a significant financial Vehicles. “That’s why we have been bus manufacturers, now says that
impact upon their business. trying to be really innovative in how differentiation should be clearly
38 | FUNERAL DIRECTOR MONTHLY
made between the fleet of old diesel The ACEA is confident that modern
cars on European roads and the new
models now rolling off manufacturer diesel cars could have a key role to play
production lines. in helping achieve air quality targets."
ACEA found that some 270 new “It would be senseless of us to press has implied that all diesel engine
types of diesel cars type-approved overlook the use of diesel engine vehicles emit harmful emissions.
against the latest Euro 6d-TEMP cars,” said Graham Clow, National This is not correct. Modern Euro
standard, also known as RDE-1, Sales Manager for Coleman Milne. 6-complying vehicles are among the
were introduced on the European “Our variant based on the new range cleanest ever. New diesel and petrol
market over the past year. The ACEA of Mondeo Panther diesels will hearse and limousine sales are likely
research showed that all of these yield WLTP tested Euro 6 emission to continue until 2040, and used sales
diesel cars performed well below the standards in excess of any ULEZ well beyond this.
NOx threshold in the real driving requirement. This engine variant uses
emissions (RDE) test that will be AdBlue to reduce the NOx emissions “Fully electric vehicles are a long way
mandatory from January 2020 – a to meet the stringent standard. It has off due to development constraints,
stage known as RDE-2 – and were been highly publicised that diesels weight issues and pricing. A new
some of the cleanest diesel models are “dirty" and, although this is hearse with an internal combustion
ever produced. certainly true of the older vehicles engine, for instance, costs £100,000
on the road, most vehicles registered - to make and retail a fully electric
Coleman Milne, which includes in post September 2015 are Euro 6 vehicle on the same platform would
its range diesel, petrol and hybrid compliant, with newer vehicles put the price up by 25-35%. These
models, is confident that there becoming ever cleaner.” additional costs, along with real world
remains an important place in funeral ranges of less than 200 miles, make
fleets for newer, cleaner diesel Paul Wilcox, CEO of Wilcox the diesel and petrol fleets still very
vehicles. Limousines, agrees. “The national desirable and more practical.”
FUNERAL DIRECTOR MONTHLY | 39
What does the Government’s CleanAir strategy mean for funeral fleets?
Affordable electric funeral vehicles
are key to new clean air regulations
By Steven Cousins, Brahms Electric Vehicles
tBrahms an extra £12.50 daily fee or for non-
lengthened electric compliant vehicles.
removal ambulance
in production “Brahms is producing an electric
removal ambulance based on a
lengthened Nissan eNV200. If
funeral directors wish, this can be
delivered with side glass and a twin
deck to function as a hearse with
viewable coffin with room for two
stretchers below. Or, as most funeral
directors have indicated, be used as
a simple low cost electric removal
ambulance, with two stretchers.
“Our other innovation, again to
keep costs down, is the seven-
seat fully electric hearse. Almost
everyone who has bought our
Nissan Leaf two-seat electric hearse
has then bought an additional give-
seat Nissan Leaf saloon. That gives
enormous flexibility to bereaved
“After many years of concern about Euro 6 standard is required. These
people and to bearers. Funeral
the environment and climate change, use the ‘AdBlue’ Urea supplement
directors get an extra vehicle they
2019 is finally the year when these to reduce NOx emissions from the
have an impact on businesses, and exhaust. It is these NOx emissions can use for calls, and we have
funeral directors are no exception. and exhaust particulates that have developed an adaptation for the
been linked to many health problems hearse to enable discrete removals in
“Many cities around the UK are and premature deaths at a level of the Birmingham clean air zone. The
invoking clean air rules that are 40,000 annually across the UK. cost of the two vehicles is still way
legislating older diesels off the road less than a conventional five-seat
and only allowing the latest diesels “Funeral directors are facing a petrol or diesel hearse – and that’s
and electric vehicles to enter parts ‘carrot and stick’ approach from city our approach, we want to make
of the city or face large fees or fines governments. In London there is electric vehicles really affordable as
each day. Many petrol vehicles encouragement for electric vehicles, well as super cheap to operate.
slip through the net - for example which are not charged to enter the
in London, if a vehicle is Euro 4 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), “We will be showing our new
compliant (as are most cars post- a ‘neutral’ position of just paying electric removal ambulance at NFE
2005), then they are still able to be the congestion charge for compliant 2019 later this year, along with some
used. For diesel cars and vans the diesels and petrol vehicles, and then other exciting developments.”
New ‘7-seater’ electric hearse - from £65000
Multi-functional, can do calls as well as funerals Please call 01536 384261
and removals. Very long deck.
Meets city clean air rules. Low purchase cost and
low operating costs. Easy parking.
2+5
ElectricHearse.co.uk Photo courtesy C.P.J.Field
40 | FUNERAL DIRECTOR MONTHLY
Coleman Milne launches Norwood
and Rosedale hybrids for 2019
By Graham Clow – National Sales Manager, Coleman Milne
“We are fast approaching the launch uColeman Milne’s
of London’s Ultra Low Emission new Norwood
Zone, in April 2019. It is a given that hybrid hearse
this amount of revenue will not be
over looked by all the larger cities
around the UK, which will follow
London’s lead with the full backing
of the Government.
“Coleman Milne, as Europe’s largest
funeral vehicle manufacturer, has been
looking ahead to ensure that city-
centre funeral directors are still able
to operate the appropriate vehicles
to fulfil the traditional roles, whilst
moving with the changing times.
“The new self-charging hybrid
Norwood and Rosedale range utilises
a 2.0 litre petrol engine, coupled to
an electric motor and lightweight Euro 6 emission standards, in “In the past 12 months there
lithium ion battery pack. The hybrids excess of any ULEZ requirement. has been an increasing number
pull away in full electric mode and This engine variant uses AdBlue to of “straight to crematorium” or
the petrol engine only kicks in when reduce the NOx emissions to meet “cremation without ceremony”
required, no need to recharge at base the stringent standard. As most services which funeral directors
and no limit to the distance that can NAFD members are now aware, are now offering as a more cost-
be covered. These vehicles will allow we are delighted to be extending effective alternative. In response to
for a silent approach into the church our Mercedes range to include a this we are nearing completion of
or crematorium and are, without Euro-style hearse too, which will an appropriate vehicle that we feel
doubt, the most cost-effective way be launched at the 2019 National will fulfil this requirement perfectly,
to acquire a hybrid fleet. Funeral Exhibition. Alongside the a vehicle that will also meet the
existing E-Class range, the Euro- growing number of occasions when
“Our diesel variant based on the style hearse will be available with the a bariatric hearse is required.”
new range of Mondeo Panther E220 ultra-clean Euro 6 diesel with
diesels will yield WLTP tested AdBlue, or E200 petrol engine.
FUNERAL DIRECTOR MONTHLY | 41What does the Government’s CleanAir strategy mean for funeral fleets?
Co-op finds requests for
alternative hearses increases by
21% in three years
Recent research has revealed that 1970’s Mercedes E320). Families
the number of requests for unique have also requested an Only Fools
hearses in the last three years has and Horses themed hearse, canal
increased by a fifth. Of the 100,000 boat, milk float, steam train, tractor
funerals Co-op conducts each year, and trailer and a tandem bicycle for
alternative hearses are now used for
funerals too.
one in 100 funerals.
Leading the way in these requests in November, Co-op Funeralcare
were its Land Rover, Rainbow and also launched the first Poppy hearse,
Austin hearses although, following transforming a Ford Cardinal with a
close behind, were Rusty (a Vauxhall showering of 100 poppies to mark the
uCo-op Funeralcare’s Poppy hearse
Wyvern 1953) and Dolly (a classic centenary of the end of World War I.
A sixth Rolls-Royce Phantom VII for AW Lymn
This month, Matthew and Nigel
Lymn Rose, the Managing Director
and Chief Executive of family
business, A. W. Lymn The Family
Funeral Service, will undertake
a 2100-mile round trip to collect
the company's sixth Rolls-Royce
Phantom V11 hearse from Italy.
It is five years since the first of these
vehicles was brought back from
specialist coach builder Biemme and
they are now a familiar sight on the
roads in the Midlands, where the
company’s 27 funeral homes are
located.
Matthew comments: “The original
blueprint for the car was quite
different to the Rolls-Royce Silver vehicles are so unique and we feel pAW Lymn’s with matching passenger vehicles.
Mists we ran in the 1990’s and we should be able to serve these fleet of Unusually, it also owns a London
2000’s, but the investment and whilst still meeting the needs of our Rolls Royce Routemaster hearse, which has been
vision have proved to be the right clients in Nottingham, Derby and Phantoms used all over the country on trade
choice. These vehicles are able to Mansfield.”. hires.
cope with the modern funeral whilst
retaining the classic Rolls-Royce Alongside the modern hearses Matthew concludes: “We think that,
style and dignity,” he continued. and its 19 matching Rolls-Royce when the sixth hearse arrives, we
“Although six may sound like a large Phantom VII saloons, the company will be fully fleeted - that is unless,
number, we have experienced a rise also has vintage Rolls-Royce hearses of course, something else catches
in the number of trade hires as the from the 1930’s and 1960’s, all Nigel’s eye!”
42 | FUNERAL DIRECTOR MONTHLYYou can also read
