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Location

Ourense, Spain

Initiation date

2021-present

Contact details

TBD – discussion on personal details

Mitigation initiative

The Galician regional government has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2040. [1] As part of the push towards this objective, the Galician Health Service (SERGAS) has launched a sustainable transport initiative in 2021, introducing electric ambulances in the Ourense Health Area to decarbonise medical transport. [2] The initiative replaces traditional ambulances with battery-electric models for an equivalent of 175,000 trips a year and requires the transport provider to renew its fleet over time, including life-support, stretcher, and small-group ambulances.

Charging stations were installed in all three hospitals of the Ourense region to support the deployment of electric vehicles. [2] The aim is to cut diesel and LPG fuel use in patient transport, reducing greenhouse gases and operating costs. This pilot project targets non‑urgent transfers between hospitals or outpatient procedures to match the lower range and autonomy of electric vehicles.  

GHG emission reduction measures  

Scope 1 - Reducing emissions from mobile fuel consumption

The initiative targets reductions in direct vehicle emissions by replacing ambulances with internal combustion engines with electric ones. In SERGAS hospitals, mobile combustion (scope 1) represents 14% of emissions. [1] This initiative is in continuity with the introduction of hybrid vehicles for home-care staff in 2019, which had already targeted scope 1 emissions. 

Scope 2

N/A

Scope 3

N/A

Key learnings

Electric ambulances allowed Ourense hospitals to reduce their carbon footprint from mobile transport, but posed some challenges in their use. The key constraint that emerged in the use of electric ambulances was range: fully loaded electric ambulances manage 280 km instead of the 400 km nominally. Thus, electric ambulances were restricted to shorter, non-urgent trips while conventional ambulances were kept for long-distance critical transport. [2] Maintenance needs posed hurdles as the ambulances require specialized servicing skills that were initially scarce locally. The contract was structured flexibly as a three-year term with extensions to allow the provider time to replace vehicles and renew its fleet. 

The example of the use of electric ambulances in Ourense shows that starting with non-urgent patient transport is a good starting point to build the capacity for the full electrification of the ambulance fleet. In order for this initiative to be adopted in other settings, an essential enabling condition is investment in charging infrastructure in hospitals. In addition, a pool of trained maintenance providers must be available in the region to provide support throughout the life cycle of the vehicle. It is also significant that the use of electric ambulances has yielded cost savings in a short amount of time, which would make it attractive to hospitals looking to combine environmental improvements and financial returns. 

Initiative outcomes

Evidence of Success  

Comparative trials undertaken between May and September 2022 showed that two electric ambulances consumed 97% less fuel and emitted 80% fewer CO₂ emissions per trip than fossil fuel ambulances [2]. Financially, compared to the previous generation of ambulances, the operation of electric ambulances translated to savings of €22 [2] for every 102 km (the length of a standard ambulance route).   

Co-benefits 

Beyond contributing to the emission reductions, the use of electric ambulances in the Ourense region produces health and operational benefits. They emit no tailpipe pollutants (NOx, PM), contributing to improving local air quality around hospitals and routes. The initiative is also financially beneficial for the region, as they yield savings from reduced fossil fuel use and have shown a rapid return on investment [4]. Institutional co-benefits include building charging infrastructure which can later support the full electrification of the ambulance fleet, and the strengthening the Galician Health Service’s standing as a sustainability leader. 

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This translation is generated by eTranslation, a machine translation tool provided by the European Commission.

Exclusion of liability
This translation is generated by eTranslation, a machine translation tool provided by the European Commission.