Bradford firm builds UK’s first all-electric emergency ambulance

Designed, developed and produced in Bradford, the Electric Dual Crewed Ambulance (E-DCA) is the first zero emissions ambulance to be used on UK roads.

The ambulance will be trialled by its biggest customer, West Midlands Ambulance Service.

VCS, which is owned by Woodall Nicholson Group and corners about 40 per cent of the UK’s ambulance market, used its lightweight core capture construction method to make the vehicle over the last nine months. The E-DCA employs zero emissions powertrain technology developed within the Woodall Nicholson Group.

Powered by lithium-ion batteries situated in the underside of the ambulance floor pan, the E-DCA has a power output of 129bhp (96kW). It has a top speed of 75 mph and can achieve a range of 105-110 miles with a recharge time of just over four hours.

The E-DCA, which is designed within the Lord Carter Report National Specification, includes a number of design elements and features including a rear door damp assist system, hospital chair gang way accessibility, intelligent run lock management and an OLED graphical HMI keypad.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Mark Kerrigan, managing director at VCS, said: “It came right in the middle of the Covid outbreak but with the great attitude of the Yorkshire people, we’ve still managed to get the ambulance prepared on time for West Midlands to launch it.”

He added: “As the world moves away from fossil fuels and towards a zero-carbon future, it’s important that the emergency services sector keeps pace.

“VCS has always been at the forefront of emergency service vehicle innovation, so we saw it as our duty to bring the pioneering E-DCA to market.

“The vehicle launched today is a strong first step on the path to electrification and we’re confident that by working with outstanding operators, such as West Midlands Ambulance Service, we can continue to innovate and improve our zero emissions offering.”

Anthony Marsh, chief executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust, added: “By using aircraft style technology we have created the most hi-tech and lightest ambulances in the country which reduces our impact on the environment by reducing CO2 levels and ensures that patients receive the highest standards of safety and comfort.

“It is therefore a logical next step for us to be the first ambulance service in the country to introduce a fully electric ambulance.”

He added: “Given we operate in a clean air zone like Birmingham, this is a sensible and advantageous step forward for so many reasons. We look forward to working with our staff to integrate the vehicle into frontline operations, while using it as a test bed to develop even more advanced vehicles.”

Following the trial, which is expected to last at least six months, VCS will use the feedback to improve the design of a vehicle with the aim of rolling it out to other NHS trusts.

The electric ambulance will cost up to 35 per cent more than a standard ambulance but Mr Kerrigan said it would be much cheaper to run. “Long term it’ll save money but the key thing is balancing the cost with the benefits to human life by eradicating diesel engines,” he said.

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James Mitchinson