East of England Ambulance Service to trial electric ambulances next year
Three of the vehicles will be trialled next year - to see if they're suitable for use across the East
Last updated 7th Aug 2023
The East of England Ambulance service (EEAST) is to trial three electric ambulances next year to see if they're suitable for use across the region.
The service, which covers Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, as well as Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, will also roll out 15 new electric Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs).
Several RRVs are already in service across the East, allowing paramedics to get to the scene of emergencies ahead of ambulances and start providing urgent treatment.
Next year, EEAST will take delivery of three electric Ford ambulances for 'extensive trialling'
Paul Henry, Deputy Director of Operations Support at EEAST, said: “These extensive trials on three vehicles are intended to gain information about how the new generation of electric vehicles perform under the real-life conditions of an everyday shift and also to help us make the transition for staff as easy as possible.
“Most importantly, it will be to mitigate any possible risk to patients. Patient-carrying vehicles will not be introduced to our operational fleet until trials have indicated that it is safe to do so.”
Alongside the rollout of new electric ambulances, work will start at 18 EEAST sites to install or upgrade new electric charging points.
The ambulance service is also in talks with local hospitals and commercial charging providers to ensure ambulances can be charged away from home.