HVS to build UK’s first hydrogen-electric emergency ambulance

Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS), based in Scotland, was awarded a £460,000 Innovate UK government grant by the Department for Transport. As a result of the grant, HVS is collaborating with the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and Foresight Innovations to build the UK’s first purpose-built hydrogen-electric emergency ambulance.

HVS GGC SAS Foresight Innovations To meet NHS GGC’s 2025 net-zero fleet goal, the projected development will be finished by the end of March 2022. Despite commencing in Scotland, the zero-emission emergency ambulance project could eventually be made available throughout the United Kingdom.

This hydrogen-powered ambulance can be refueled in under 5 minutes, as opposed to the 30 minutes required for charging a BEV. An ambulance that can conduct back-to-back shifts is essential for healthcare services, and this speedy refueling will make it possible. Medical equipment can be operated without producing emissions or without a separate generator if power off-take is available onboard.

“This incredible win for HVS to develop a zero-emission emergency ambulance will help healthcare vehicles that need significant onboard power supplies for both transport and for static. The advantages of a hydrogen-electric powertrain that produces its own electricity onboard directly improves vehicle efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions. We also expect the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of hydrogen-electric vehicles to reach parity with petrol/diesel vehicles by 2030 if not sooner,” explained CEO Jawad Khursheed, HVS.

“The collaboration between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scottish Ambulance Service and HVS, using a grantfunded project to develop a concept zero-emission hydrogen vehicle ambulance will prevent healthcare vehicles from contributing to air pollution and future associated respiratory diseases,” added, a spokesperson of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

A number of HVS’s zeroemission commercial vehicles have won awards for their creative designs and use of cutting-edge technology and engineering. By 2025, HVS dual cell powertrain and chassis technologies will enable the transportation industry to reduce emissions by 15%, by 30% by 2030, and to achieve zero-emission fleets by 2040, ambitious emission reduction targets.