Hybrid and EV Adoption Adds to Healthy Living
Many industries have increased their adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, especially as decision-makers realize these options could be ideal for a more sustainable future. Some in the health care industry also think these transitions could simultaneously support people’s health by reducing pollution.
Using a Green Ambulance for Patient Transport and Services
DocGo specializes in what its representatives consider last-mile options, bringing offerings such as wound care services, vaccinations, health tests and IV support to people in their homes or other convenient locations. The business has also secured hospital partnerships that use electric ambulances to move patients. This focus is part of its aim to have an entirely electrified fleet by 2032.
An example of its transition to electric vehicles and the emerging emphasis on specialized transport services involved taking a person from a Pennsylvania hospital to a nursing home. The company’s estimates suggest such trips have one-tenth the pollutants of those made with gas-powered ambulances.
For now, these ambulances are standard vehicles converted by third parties. Although representatives familiar with this step say it is expensive, they believe that more competition in the space will bring the price down.
Additionally, more manufacturers offer alternatives allowing industrial vehicle users to lower emissions without transitioning to fully electric models. Diesel-over-electric drive systems are some examples. As the name suggests, they use diesel fuel and electric motors. Such setups are well-established for locomotives and ships, but people have more recently explored using them in other industries. Such options are powerful and dependable while being easier to maintain than other possibilities.
Bringing Joy to Young Hospital Inpatients
Lengthy hospital stays can be scary, unsettling and unpleasant, especially for kids. However, a children’s hospital initiative involves Honda partnering with its dealership network to distribute specially made electric vehicles to health care facilities with young patients. Although this effort benefits children’s hospitals across the United States, the first two to receive the cars were Indiana’s Riley Hospital for Children and Ohio’s Akron Children’s.
Honda’s engineers applied many of the same detail-oriented techniques used when designing high-tech racing vehicles. However, the goal here was to keep youngsters at the heart of every decision. These electric cars are made for indoor environments, allowing kids to drive them down the hallways of medical facilities.
In addition to a rear attachment that can accommodate an IV pole, these vehicles have a handlebar at the back, allowing hospital staff to push the cars. Alternatively, kids can use dashboard buttons to make the cars go up to 5 miles per hour, giving them control and decision-making capabilities that hospital stays often sacrifice.
Making Conscious Changes
Hospital administrators making sustainable changes to a facility’s fleet must remember that switching to electric or hybrid models is popular and accessible, but these are not the only ways to reduce the associated emissions. People should start by understanding the various factors that contribute to that figure.
For example, bigger vehicles are often less fuel-efficient than smaller ones. However, if cars can use alternative fuels, such as ethanol, that is an excellent way to shrink their carbon footprints. Some automobiles can operate on 85% ethanol. That is much more than more common vehicles that use 10-15% ethanol in the gasoline mix.
Additionally, if health care facilities invest in electric or hybrid vehicles, people should study the numerous associated factors to ensure that those will have the sustainability impacts they expect. While these versions are generally cleaner to run than traditional gas-powered models, various factors affect the extent of the benefits.
People will also get the best results if they understand the burdens attached to their current vehicles. Then, they can get estimates for the greener alternatives and make careful comparisons. One case involved a hospital’s diesel wellness van, which went to communities to facilitate easier service access. However, calculations indicated it cost an average of $4,800 in fuel per year to operate.
Leaders decided to retire that van and replace it with two electric vehicles. Besides helping the hospital save on gas costs, this switch allows patients to access services without climbing into an elevated vehicle. That makes it easier for people with mobility or balance difficulties.
Greener Health Care Fleets Have Numerous Benefits
These examples show that emissions reductions achieved by strategic vehicle switches can have long-lasting benefits for the planet and those using the vehicles. These transitions take time to succeed, but they can pay off in meaningful ways.
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