A Land Rover Defender Ambulance
This ambulance was parked outside the Red Cross in Moorfields, whilst I ate my breakfast in the LEON opposite.
Note.
- It was from the Lincolnshire Red Cross.
- It was a very professional conversion.
- Judging by the sign it appeared to be promoting the link between Jaguar Land Rover and the Red Cross.
As an occasional user of an ambulance, I have some views on the design of these vehicles.
Should Ambulances Be Hydrogen Powered?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
Hydrogen power offers significant advantages for ambulances by combining long driving ranges with rapid refuelling times, making it a strong contender for emergency fleets.
The Case For Hydrogen Ambulances
Fast Refuelling: Hydrogen tanks can be refuelled in about five minutes, keeping vehicles ready for back-to-back emergency shifts without long charging downtimes.
Longer Range: Fuel cell and battery hybrid setups (like the ZERRO project) can travel up to 300 miles, which is vital for rural areas or long-distance hospital transfers.
Onboard Power: Hydrogen fuel cells can power heavy medical equipment without draining the main drive battery or requiring extra diesel generators.
The Challenges
Infrastructure Costs: Public hydrogen refuelling stations remain scarce, limiting where vehicles can operate and refuel.
Vehicle Costs: Building and buying hydrogen fuel cell systems is currently more expensive than standard battery-electric or diesel setups.
Electric Competitiveness: Standard battery-electric ambulances are already performing well in urban areas where depots allow for overnight recharging and shorter daily shifts.
Note.
- I have been a passenger in about four or five hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses. All were mouse-quiet with no vibration. This is surely important in an ambulance!
- I used to live next to a London paramedic sixty years ago and he said it was a stressful job. Would a calm environment help to relieve that stress?
- The onboard power capability is surely important and will get more important in the future.
- As more hydrogen-powered vehicles appear on the roads, hydrogen fuelling stations will be less scarce.
The long-range of a hydrogen-powered ambulance might mean that patients were taken to an appropriate hospital immediately.
How Does The Performance Of Electric-Powered And Hydrogen-Powered Ambulances Compare?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
Electric-powered and hydrogen-powered ambulances compare across range, refueling time, energy efficiency, and onboard power capabilities:
Range and Operational Capacity
Electric Ambulances (BEV): Typically offer a range of around 70 to 120 miles on a single charge, which suits local response cars, patient transport, or shorter urban shifts.
Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell Ambulances (FCEV): Use hydrogen fuel cells as a range extender to charge onboard batteries, providing a significantly higher extended range of up to 300 miles, which is closer to traditional diesel vehicles for demanding shifts.
Refueling and Downtime
Electric Ambulances: Require time plugged into charging infrastructure to replenish batteries, which can take anywhere from tens of minutes on rapid chargers to hours depending on power limits, creating potential downtime during fleet rotations.
Hydrogen Ambulances: Can be refueled with compressed hydrogen in roughly 5 minutes, allowing for immediate back-to-back operational shifts without prolonged downtime.
Energy Efficiency and Onboard Power
Electric Ambulances: Feature high overall powertrain efficiency (converting over 85% of battery energy into motion) and lower moving-part maintenance costs, but heavy medical equipment loads draw heavily on the primary battery and can restrict operational range.
Hydrogen Ambulances: Offer onboard power off-take capabilities directly from the fuel cell system, enabling high-draw medical equipment to run continuously without draining the main drive energy or requiring a separate noisy generator. However, hydrogen systems have lower overall well-to-wheel thermodynamic efficiency and higher complexity.
Infrastructure and Deployment
Electric Ambulances: Benefit from a rapidly expanding public and depot charging grid, with several NHS trusts already successfully deploying electric response and transport vehicles.
Hydrogen Ambulances: Remain in early trial and prototype phases (such as projects via ULEMCo and HVS) because specialized hydrogen refueling stations are scarce and expensive to build.
I suspect that the nature of the terrain in an area, will also affect the type of power selected.
My Sister’s Burst Aorta
This is a personal observation.
- My sister lives near Colchester General Hospital.
- After her aorta burst, she dialled 999 and an ambulance was dispatched.
- The paramedics corrected assessed her problem and didn’t muck around.
- They decided to take her immediately to Papworth Hospital on the other side of East Anglia.
- The road between the two hospitals is dual-carriageway all the way and possibly with a Police escort, they made the trip in time.
- After several months in hospital, she returned home.
- My sister has now fully recovered.
I believe journeys like this, would be faster and more comfortable in a custom-designed high-performance hydrogen fuel-cell ambulance.
It should be noted that the East Anglian Ambulance Service has been known to station ambulances on the bridges over the dual-carriageways to shorten response times to road accidents.
Are Toyota HiLux Pickups Used As Ambulances?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
Yes, Toyota Hilux pickups are used as ambulances, especially in remote, rural, or off-road environments where standard van-based ambulances cannot travel.
Common Configurations
Canopy / Rapid Response Style: The pickup bed is fitted with a secure, weatherproof canopy or Truckman top to carry a single stretcher and essential emergency gear.
Box-Type Modular Body: A fully enclosed, purpose-built medical compartment is mounted directly onto the Hilux chassis, offering a climate-controlled environment and space for advanced life support (ALS) equipment.
Where They Are Used
Off-Road & Disaster Zones: Mountain rescue teams, humanitarian groups, and military field operations rely on the Hilux’s 4×4 capability and high ground clearance.
Specialized Services: Organizations like wildlife hospitals use adapted Hilux trucks as animal ambulances to reach stranded or injured wildlife in rough terrain. International agencies like the UN and WHO also deploy them in regions lacking paved infrastructure.
I would expect that in designing the next generation Toyota HiLux, Toyota have improved on the design for ambulances.
Will A Hydrogen-Powered toyota HiLux Pickup Make A Useful Ambulance?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
A hydrogen-powered Toyota HiLux pickup can make a useful off-road or specialized utility ambulance, but its practical application as a standard emergency vehicle faces major limits.
Advantages for Ambulance Use
Off-road access: The rugged ladder-frame chassis of the HiLux allows access to remote, rugged, or off-road terrain where standard vans or traditional ambulances cannot go.
Quick refueling: Hydrogen fuel cells refuel in about 3 to 5 minutes, offering much faster turnaround times than battery-electric vehicles.
Clean operation: The fuel cell produces zero tailpipe emissions, creating a quiet, exhaust-free environment suitable for patient transport.
Good payload and towing: It targets a towing capacity of around 5,500 pounds (2,500 kg), handling heavy medical gear better than lighter electric alternatives.
Limitations for Ambulance Use
Cabin space: A pickup truck bed and cab offer less enclosed, climate-controlled volume for patients and attending medical staff compared to standard box ambulances or large vans (like the Toyota Hiace).
Infrastructure gaps: Hydrogen fueling stations remain very rare outside select urban or regional pockets, restricting emergency range and operational zones.
Availability: Toyota is targeting production for the hydrogen HiLux by 2028, meaning the vehicle is not yet available for immediate fleet purchase.
I do think though, that it would be very suitable for some specialist operations.
