Wilcox’s Hearses & Limousines testing regime
Under UK law, Hearses and Limousines must be safe to drive on the roads and any safety issues are wholly unacceptable. However, for Wilcox Limousines testing isn’t just about safety; it’s also about providing our customers with a quality durable product.
Testing is a long and intensive process, it is undertaken in a variety of sites, including on-track, digital and laboratory type environments.
Brake Testing
Brakes are, obviously, very important in the running of any vehicle. Due to their importance, Wilcox Limousines tests them to ensure their safety and to decrease maintenance costs.
Braking is tested through a specialised device known as a brake tester. To use it, a vehicle is driven onto the tester in line with a set of rollers. The rollers are then switched on, which cause the tyres to run. The operator of the vehicle then hits the brakes, which creates a force. This force is recorded by measuring the deceleration of the tyres.
After a matrix of recordings has been noted down, testers can then accurately assess how long the brakes will last, as well their metrics.
Steering Testing
Steering response is another vital aspect of all vehicles. There are several specific standards that govern the testing of steering and specialised independent companies that are approved by the UK vehicle certification authority (VCA) perform these tests for Wilcox Limousines.
Durability Testing
The vibration vehicles endure can lead to long-term damage, particularly as Hearses and Limousines sometimes carry more weight than the original vehicle they are converted from. Wilcox Limousines in conjunction with an experienced specialist have developed our own set of tests both virtual and physical that assess the durability of our conversions.
Wilcox Limousines also checks the alignment and fit of key parts within the build process to ensure that the tolerances are correct, and they will remain durable.
Electronic Stability Control
ESC systems are assessed by performing a series of tests in which steering and yaw behaviour can be simultaneously evaluated. These are called the “sine-with-dwell” tests and are based on an actual double lane change manoeuvre.
Regulation 100
These are a serious of tests that electric power trained vehicles have to meet and Wilcox Limousines tests all it’s electric and hybrid conversions to this standard.
Electro Magnetic Compatibility
Safety-critical systems and advanced vehicle functionality depend on control systems powered by ECUs, both wired and wirelessly connected. EMC testing is essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of electronic systems. While EMC validation at component level is necessary, it is insufficient. Interactions between electronic systems must also be checked at vehicle level.
Crash Testing
Everyone knows about car crash testing. From the distinct dummy to striking images of the testing process, the test provides peace of mind that the majority of cars are as safe as they possibly can be.
Because Hearses and Limousines are converted from cars that have already undergone extensive crash testing Wilcox Limousines is not required to crash test vehicles, in fact the cost of this would make the purchase price of Hearses and Limousines unviable. However, we do perform a destructive test assessing the performance of seat belt anchorages.
