Falck is an over century-old company founded in Denmark by Sophus Falck and it offers assistance in emergency cases in 26 countries.

The company's first electric ambulance will serve as a test vehicle to improve the reliability of battery-powered ambulances, as this type of vehicles haven't been widely used until now and it is critical that they operate without breaking down.

The team at Falck hopes that the trial electric Vito ambulance will shape future dedicated electric ambulance models that will be transporting patients without releasing emissions.

Company officials believe that its first trial operations powered by e-ambulances will enable other healthcare service operators to use non-polluting vehicles 3-4 years from now.

Jakob Riis, CEO of Falck, said that "it is a major milestone in our green transition. Our employees have delivered a difficult... job leading up to the launch of the electric ambulance, where the weight and the available space have been optimized down to the smallest detail, so that we have created an operational and scalable electric ambulance."

"Our biggest direct emissions come from our fuel consumption, and therefore it is crucial that we promote the use of ambulances powered by electricity and other renewable energy sources."

Falck's test vehicle complies with all European regulations regarding safety and health equipment, while being slightly smaller, but heavier than a traditional diesel ambulance.

As far as the specs go, the electric Vito ambulance used for the trial operations can achieve a speed of 160 km/h and it has a range of as much as 233 kilometers.

The 60kWh battery can be juiced from 10 to 80% in 35 minutes, meaning that it can be charged fairly quickly, but also during breaks, to prevent lack of battery power.

Since the ambulance business accounts for 75% of the company's total carbon footprint, Falck has developed other solutions that can help it reduce its CO2 emissions from these vehicles.

Company officials also say that Falck wants to reduce its own direct carbon emissions by 50% before the next decade.

Photo source: Falck