Tiny island of Tershcelling gets fully electric ambulance from Th!nk
With the current limitations (no pun intended) of battery-electric vehicles like the Th!nk City, one of the last places we'd expect to see one operating is as an ambulance. After all, when life is on the line, top speed and range suddenly become of paramount concern. On the other hand, our health is affected by the emissions of cars and trucks, so any way to reduce fuel consumption and pollution is a positive thing.
In the case of the Dutch Island of Terschelling, the Th!nk City should prove plenty capable of ambulance duty since there's only 4,700 residents on the entire island. With just 12 miles of paved roads on the island, the Th!nk City's 112-mile range shouldn't pose too much of a problem, and its top speed of about 65 miles per hour is likely sufficient.
[Source: Th!nk]
PRESS RELEASE
First aid Think City style - The return of the electrical ambulance
If you find yourself in need of medical support on the island of Terschelling in the Netherlands, don't be surprised to see help arriving in a nifty little electric ambulance.
The concept of electrical ambulances is not new. In fact, in the early 20th century ambulances were powered by electricity. Nowadays however, an electrical ambulance is a rare sight. The Dutch company, UMCG Ambulance Service is keen to demonstrate its environmentally responsible ethos, so has decided to complement its fleet of ambulances with an all electric Think City.
With a range of 180 km, the Think City is well suited for the distances covered on the island of Terschelling. Fully equipped with life saving medical equipment, the ambulance gives good support to the other ambulances and is very well suited for giving first aid.
Terschelling is located in the northern Netherlands and is one of the West Frisian Islands. A large part of the island has become a nature reserve and the municipal of Terschelling is working hard to reduce emissions to become a CO2 neutral island. The Think City electrical ambulance is making a vital contribution to achieving this goal.
Think's partner in the Netherlands is ElmoNet www.elmonet.nl.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joe Bonaparte 8:54AM (10/18/2009)
Umm......How the heck do they fit a stretcher in that thing?
Reply
locoyocal 9:22AM (10/18/2009)
Stretchers are only useful if you have a hospital.
jpm 3:43PM (10/18/2009)
wow, really?
think about someone with a neck injury.
Chris M 6:24PM (10/18/2009)
Exactly. As a two door hatchback, it is not well suited for ambulance use, the only way to fit a stretcher in there is by folding down the back and passenger seats and sliding the stretcher in through the hatchback. Not very convenient in an emergency, and it leaves little room for the EMT person to work on the patient while in transit.
A small van like the Ford Transit or Renault Kangoo would be better choices, both will soon be available with electric power.
locoyocal 9:23AM (10/18/2009)
It makes more sense than the american style of a giant firetruck when someone has a medical emergency.
Reply
Chris M 6:33PM (10/18/2009)
In the US, fire trucks are sent out for general emergencies, when it isn't clear what type of rescue devices will be needed - fire trucks have ladders and jacks and breathing apparatus and other rescue equipment not commonly found on ambulances.. For actual transport of patients, a van style ambulance is used, sent out separate from any fire or police vehicles.
In a major emergency, there could be a fire truck, several ambulances, and police to provide security.
BTW, years ago some communities used hearses as ambulances, but that practice was stopped when some ambulance/hearse drivers were found to be more interested in scooping up the dead for their mortuary than transporting the wounded to hospitals.
Susan Kraemer 9:03PM (10/18/2009)
...which we then have to pay through the nose for! But...I was unconscious, if I'd known, Id have called a friend to take me.
Nick 3:41PM (10/18/2009)
FACTS:
Ambulances are NOT allowed to exceed the speed limits.
Ambulances mostly operate in dense city traffic.
Americans think Ambulances need to be large boxy trucks with big V8 motors......
...while in Europe they use converted cars with 2L motors, which is perfectly fine.
Reply
Dave 4:23PM (10/18/2009)
this doesnt look like a converted car:
http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/10/medic-spanish-bifuel-ambulances-curb-emissions-disappoint-driv/
nrb 2:29AM (10/20/2009)
"Ambulances are NOT allowed to exceed the speed limits."
That varies by state. Where I live, they are absolutely to exceed the posted speed limit. In fact, they're expected to do so when time is factor and conditions allow it.
"Ambulances mostly operate in dense city traffic."
Only those that are in dense cities. The rest rarely operate in dense city traffic.
"Americans think Ambulances need to be large boxy trucks with big V8 motors......
...while in Europe they use converted cars with 2L motors, which is perfectly fine"
Americans expect ambulances to be rolling hospitals. To pull that off, they need to be large trucks with big diesel motors.
mr.ott 12:10PM (10/19/2009)
Two points:
1. It's Terschelling not Tershcelling, nice island by the way. An electric vehicle fits perfectly in it's bicycle culture.
2. The Netherlands also uses motor bikes as ambulance vehicles. They can slip through traffic and provide emergency aid faster than a big ambulance. Not every ambulance call in the Netherlands results in a trip to the hospital. Quite often emergency services can be provided on the spot, and a small vehicle filled with medical equipment might be everything you need. It is cheaper for the taxpayer in the end. And if it is anything serious they'll have to fly you out with the helicopter anyway, to go to a hospital on the main land.
Reply
KK 1:37PM (10/19/2009)
The motorcycle medic sounds like a great idea. Found a photo on this wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_medical_services_in_the_Netherlands