Funeral homes in Greater Manchester have launched their new range of all-electric vehicles, following a six-figure investment into the updated funeralcare fleet and as part of a wider climate action plan.
Co-op Funeralcare, which has branches in Manchester, Bury, Cheadle and Altrincham, has invested more than £260,000 in the region to give local people a more sustainable travel option when saying goodbye to their loved ones. This latest action is part of a wider commitment by Co-op to be net zero across the entire business by 2040, as outlined in their latest Climate Plan.
Now, two electric vehicles will be rolled out across care centres in the region, which will also be fitted out with electric charging points, with each new fully electric vehicle averaging a one and a half tonne CO2 reduction when driven compared to their hybrid predecessors*.
Tim Bloomer, Head of North Client Operations at Co-op Funeralcare, said: “Funerals are changing, and we know how important it is to our member owners and clients that we explore more sustainable options and elements of the service for when they come to us to arrange their loved one’s funeral.
“Using electric vehicles is one of the ways we can help realise this, which is why we’re thrilled to be able to offer families more choice in how they celebrate the lives of their loved ones, as well as those planning their own funeral.
“This is also a significant investment for us, and a key step in our ambition to replace our full fleet of vehicles with fully electric alternatives by 2035, alongside our priority to be net zero across our entire business by 2040. We’re pleased to be expanding our fleet with the addition of our brand new all-electric vehicles, and we hope to be able to roll them out across the whole nation very soon.”
The rollout is part of a £9m UK-wide investment from Co-op Funeralcare and follows the announcement last year from the member-owned funeralcare business of its plans to explore sustainable funeral choices by pioneering a new option in the UK known as Resomation®, the first alternative to burial or cremation since 1902. As part of the planned initial trial, Co-op Funeralcare will look to further validate this new method as being a more environmentally friendly choice compared to gas cremation.
