As part of the commitment to reducing its carbon emissions,
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust will be the first to trial
the current Vauxhall Ampera as part of its emergency fleet.
Over the next few months the Ampera will operate as a rapid
response vehicle in the York area as part of the NHS Trust’s
emergency fleet, to see how low carbon vehicles might be
incorporated into the Trust’s fleet of more than 900 vehicles
(emergency and Patient Transport Service).
Yorkshire Ambulance Service is committed to reducing its carbon
footprint by 30% by 2015, as well as reducing its spending on
fuel. The E-REV technology in the Ampera, which won European Car
of the Year 2012, makes it a good option for use in the emergency
services as it benefits from both an electric motor and a petrol
engine – so there isn’t any concern about range anxiety.
The Vauxhall Ampera is the first electric vehicle to be trialled
by an ambulance service on a long-term basis. “We are very
excited to be the first ambulance service to trial an electric
vehicle that will respond to incidents, reduce our emissions and
provide significant savings on fuel costs. As it has both
electric and petrol power we are confident that it is a viable
alternative,” commented Richard Smith, Fleet Manager for
Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
