Àltima launches the first long-range electric hearse

Barcelona, October 25, 2013.

Àltima has acquired the first prototype of an electric funeral vehicle approved for use on urban and interurban roads, the E-Moon. It is the first funeral services company in Spain to invest in such a vehicle, capable of covering distances of up to 120 kilometers, which the company will use for transporting coffins and cremation urns during funerals or transfers.

Josep Ventura, Director of Funeral Services at Àltima, believes that "the E-Moon strengthens our commitment to sustainability and energy savings within our company. The goal is to continue investing in this type of electric vehicle and gradually incorporate them into our fleet of funeral cars in the various regions where we operate." Currently, the vehicle covers funeral services for the centers at Ronda de Dalt in Barcelona and Vilafranca del Penedès in the Alt Penedès.

The E-Moon offers several advantages: it is completely silent, avoids harmful emissions, and minimizes maintenance costs, energy consumption, insurance, and taxes. It can reach a maximum speed of 120 km/h, has a power output of 60 horsepower, and an estimated consumption of 155 Wh/km. The battery can be recharged at both Wall Box stations (for home charging) and public charging locations. It also features an integrated econometer on the dashboard that indicates consumption and charge levels. It was manufactured by the Catalan company Bergadana.

Àltima's commitment to electric vehicles dates back to 2009 when the company pioneered with the acquisition of another electric funeral vehicle prototype, the ION, with smaller dimensions and lower range, which is used exclusively for funerals and transfers within the Roques Blanques County Cemetery, located in Papiol (Barcelona), within the 50-hectare Collserola Natural Park. Additionally, the company has other 100% electric vehicles for cemetery cleaning services and internal staff transportation.

More Sustainable Funerals and Cemeteries

Àltima, formerly known as Serveis Funeraris Integrals, manages a total of 26 funeral homes, 5 cremation complexes, and 16 cemeteries in an integrated manner, covering 167 towns in Catalonia. In all its funeral homes, the company maintains a strong commitment to environmental protection and energy savings, reflected in the creation of gardens with low-water vegetation to promote water conservation, rainwater collection systems for irrigation, utilization of natural light, and thermal insulation through low-emissivity glass to reduce heat loss from the buildings, among other measures. Examples of sustainability include the Ronda de Dalt Funeral Home in Barcelona, the Penedès Funeral Home in Vilafranca, the Sant Joan Despí Funeral Home, and the Sitges Funeral Home.

In cemetery management, this environmentally respectful policy is reflected in spaces like the Roques Blanques Cemetery, the first in Spain to obtain the European EMAS certification. The cemetery also implements measures to protect native flora and fauna (various projects for the protection of bats, amphibians, squirrels, and hedgehogs, among others). Additionally, the company holds the ISO 14001 certification for all its cemeteries and ISO 9001 certification for all its cemeteries and funeral homes it manages.