I Drive A Fully Electric Ambulance! Lightning eMotors Transit 3500 Built To Save Lives

Kyle drives the ‪@LightningeMotors‬ Transit 3500 upfitted as an ambulance! He also charges on their mobile DC Fast Charger before the drive
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#ev #ambulance #lightningemotors

[@CarbonG3]

I always find it amusing in these videos that Kyle always has his Strawberry Acai Starbucks drink at just about the same level every time the video starts

[@Dive-Bar-Casanova]

It's red epoxy in the cup. MJ had the glove, Kyle has the cup.

[@jeffandich3894]

Thank you for making this video!!!! As a former EMT, it’s sometimes difficult to get a good manual BP measurement on an ambulance where there can be lots of noise and confusion (but seasoned EMT’s are very good at this). Removing the noise of the engine can probably help with this..

[@MountainManGuy]

That mobile charging trailer is epic! AAA needs these for their roadside assistance program.

[@kennethjoseph4227]

I operate the largest EMS agency in Ohio, PA, and WV. Drive an R1T and also have an R1S, MY, M3 and MXPlaid in my garage. An electric ambulance isn't usable for for most applications yet. We would need way more range, about 250KW battery and super fast charging before we could think along those lines....

[@MyTeslaTrek]

I worked for a volunteer service and ours spent most of their lives parked in a garage. There is a use case for them.

[@-KingOfKhaos]

100% agree…. EV’s don’t belong in emergency services… period

[@MyTeslaTrek]

@@-KingOfKhaos not sure what you’re agreeing to. I never said they don’t belong. I said there is a perfect use case for them when they are located in rural areas with low call volume, or in cities that have generally short distance they drive and have access to top off.

[@-KingOfKhaos]

@@MyTeslaTrek I was agreeing to what Kenneth was saying. Justin, let me ask you though, a few questions since you seem pretty keen on switching to EV EMS rigs: - What will the scenario be when an EV EMS rig is required to stand-by at a structure fire for 8-12 hours or more in the middle of the night and the middle of a frigid winter when they must run their heaters full blast to remain warm? -What happens if they do that stand-by for 8-12 hours or more… then get released only to get back-to-back EMS calls before they can “recharge” … placing themselves and the patients at risk for significant delays or complete vehicle out of service due to lack of power? Just asking, since this type of thing happens all the time. We don’t put apparatus in service for the “most typical” or “most routine” type of use… they are spec’d out for the unexpected.

[@chriswilliams8607]

This is BS, many cities around the world are using EV ambulances and EV firetrucks for years now and are pretty happy with it.

[@kamnapavon4638]

Great for that 'Speedy Service'... One Service where that Crazy Acceleration could be utilized..

[@carholic-sz3qv]

Actually they don't need that crazy acceleration but higher speeds and more range for longer duration in application....

[@kamnapavon4638]

@@carholic-sz3qv In an Urban Setting, it could be advantaged by Acceleration.. Considering the 'Stop and Go' of Densely Populated Areas..

[@chrisrod01]

But think they only get like 110 mi at highways speeds so IDK

[@kamnapavon4638]

@@chrisrod01 That would be a Problem...

[@lyfandeth]

The importance of an infotainment center on an ambulance or medical transport (AMR runs both) cannot be underestimated. Seen "Mother, Jugs and Speed" lately?

[@coover65]

I wonder how one of these would go in a real-world situation in Australia? Having enough charge to last a 12-hour shift with the AC on the whole time and travelling a good 300km. I guess they'd be able to idle at a job for an hour with no problems.

[@dagwould]

How about a run from Bourke to Dubbo and back with a critical patient? 220 miles each way.

[@coover65]

​@@dagwould Exactly. The Sprinters are fitted with two AC units which would suck extra power out of the batteries.

[@drwheycooler8423]

These are not ready for real world applications. That's still a decade away...at least.

[@garrettkajmowicz]

Thanks for covering this!

[@adampotter9183]

Miss working at Lightning eMotors, was a great opportunity with an awesome culture. Shame that we didn't get there. RIP

[@garyclark6747]

Like a kid in a candy shop. Nice solutions on display from Lightning Motors. 23:28

[@FiendFyreNyx]

i literally jus commented on the recent brightdrop video yesterday about ev emergency vehicles and then you put this video out. So glad that your covering the expansion of ev's for everyone from personal to commercial to public service.

[@Ficon]

Makes perfect sense. A lot of sitting around, a lot of downtime at the hospital or at the fire station to top up.

[@Longsnowsm]

As long as they are going to have DCFC at the hospital with energy backup so they can recharge even in a serious disaster situation that would be cool. And make sure they have enough ambulances on hot standby for the worst case scenarios. Slow recharge speeds would be a concern when you have stuff that needs to move right now. Better have a fleet of these things in hot standby.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

They actually have generators for energy backups in hospitals.. even fuel and more

[@Longsnowsm]

@@carholic-sz3qv I think that would be my big concerns with the EV ambulances is making sure they have ample energy supplies and a way to charge no matter what is going on. Plus a fleet of hot standby vehicles since EV's don't charge that fast and it would appear to be a good tool. Depending on cost of each unit this could save them quite a bit of money long term.

[@ab-tf5fl]

In practice, I don't think charging is likely to a concern. Regardless of power source, in order to guarantee that an ambulance can be dispatched to an emergency at a moment's notice, you have to have a large enough fleet so that every vehicle is not constantly busy. So, keeping the batteries charged is as simple as just keeping them plugged in when they're sitting at the station between calls. Of course, the ambulance company needs to ensure that even if a natural disaster knocks out grid power for multiple weeks, the vehicles can remain charged. But, that problem seems solvable with backup diesel generators for the charging station. While charging an EV off diesel is never ideal, it seems reasonable as a backup option for emergency vehicles during a power outage, and is still much less polluting than having a vehicle that burns diesel all the time, even when the power isn't out.

[@gridjac]

I wonder if these would be a good candidate for a range extender, like electric fire trucks. Run the range extender on efuels if necessary and you’d have a good built-in backup.

[@Longsnowsm]

@@gridjac Might not be a bad idea.

[@mrdujko8657]

The starbucks cup is getting lower with each video :)

[@TreyCamp]

Great review! Love seeing these interesting commercial vehicles!

[@robert5008]

Sweet video Kyle

[@tazeat]

Just EPIC!

[@AlexanderTheSimmer]

This electric van has an amazing dash to navigate to locations, and This Electric Ambulance even had my favorite emergency vehicle siren in it. I think I should ride in it to see how smooth this ride is

[@dagwould]

Good to know that sirens are classed by 'favouriteness'. I wonder how it goes on the only parameter that matters: traffic clearing. That's all that counts.

[@kennethjoseph4227]

Love your videos by the way

[@JimD20619]

AMR: Another Mangled Rig. But seriously, what they need is for an AC charging port with an automatic disconnect similar to how the diesel engine block warmers work: Keep it plugged in, then it disconnects when you drive away.

[@KyleConner]

Totally agree. Was talking to them about that

[@Yelonek1986]

The automatic disconnect should be a feature on all EVs. Just like Jesse from Now You Know pointed out.

[@lyfandeth]

In the US, the emphasis is for the ambulance to quickly transport the victim to the hospital. In contrast to France, where the ambulance is more of an emergency room, and works begins on the patient immediately. So there will be international variations.

[@coover65]

The Americans still have that "load and go" mentality. In Australia, just like France the ambulance is an ER on wheels, so we spend a lot more on scene time.

[@drwheycooler8423]

There are PLENTY of medics that dick around on scene in the US for entirely too long.

[@garrettkajmowicz]

Is there a reason why they limit the charge rate to 80kW DC (per their website)? Given the size of the pack I'm surprised they don't support a peak value of at least 125kW.

[@ab-tf5fl]

I think it comes down to how fast of a charging speed an ambulance actually needs. If you want quick response, you need enough ambulances so that at least one of them is always available on standby at all times (you cannot take a chance on a critically injured patient needing to wait because all vehicles are busy serving other customers). This means that a well-run ambulance system, most of the ambulances will need to spend most of their time sitting at the station, waiting for a call. While sitting around and waiting, they can be charging, and the moment a call comes in, crews can unplug and go. In an urban environment, ambulances are and must be stationed all over the city, again, to keep response time to a minimum, which means the amount of energy required to service one call is very low, so the ambulance doesn't need to be at a very high SOC to be able to safely unplug and go. Given all this, even 80 kW DC seems like it would be more than plenty, at least for ambulances in a city. I can see how rural ambulances might need more due to the long distances involved, but for obvious reasons, it makes sense to focus ambulance electrification on the urban vehicles first and worry about the rural ones later.

[@LightningeMotors]

Especially in the context of a trailer, there are considerations of weight, space and cost. 80kW x 4 outputs (which can run at 80kW simultaneously!) is a sweetspot for applications vs cost/weight/etc.

[@AWildBard]

Battery technology is still new - ish. No doubt they will in the future.

[@PygKLB]

If you do have the opportunity for a track test, include a washboard road segment as well as curves.

[@dagwould]

Some nice design touches on the warning light setup: black bezels, synchronous flashing, bi-lateral symmetry. All the important factors. Only the front grille array not so good: all four grille lamps and the side intersection-clearing lamps need to be synchronized (with the roof mounted lamps), and about twice the size. The van needs outlining in retroreflective yellow bands of 4 inches, and a mid level band of double that, and no crazy paint scheme. It's an emergency vehicle and identification and tracking by other road users must be served, It's not a circus display of 'designer' (not) graphics.

[@drwheycooler8423]

Oh just shut up...sparky.

[@KaceyGreen]

I caught that up hills and down re the Nikola :D

[@LightningeMotors]

Yes, me too. I made this video at the time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3vSXnmEpLx-nbM

[@lyfandeth]

I've seen ambulances plugged in and constantly keeping charged, because the lighting and equipment simply kills standard ICE batteries and they need the constant boost.

[@ogz8252]

So you can use defibrillator If battery dies 😁

[@jakes5530]

Not sure if this is such a good idea. Imagine trying to get someone to the hospital and whoops youre out of battery… cant imagine the lifesaving equipment onboard is particularly efficient if theyre pulling from the truck’s battery.

[@MyTeslaTrek]

The vast majority of ambulances in America are sitting idle more than they are driven. There will be no issue.

[@-KingOfKhaos]

@@MyTeslaTrek come to the northeast US … they aren’t sitting anywhere idly by

[@MyTeslaTrek]

@@-KingOfKhaos I didn’t single out a region. Most ambulances cover rural areas and they sit parked more than they are used. Hence, a perfect case for electrification. They’ll always be plugged in, ready to go.

[@-KingOfKhaos]

@@MyTeslaTrek Right so maybe in those specific areas, EV’s might fit into the system… maybe.. but the bigger question to ask is “Why?” What possible benefit would there be to switch to EV when it’s not an entirely tested option, particularly for life-saving apparatus, and when that number of apparatus is so nominal that switching them over to EV makes absolutely zero benefit to the environment, and could present new or unseen risks to those squads or departments?

[@JonathanDeaux]

@@MyTeslaTrek No, I work EMS. Just yesterday, left my station at 04:30. Didn't stop until 15:30, covered 580 miles. Was IN the unit the entire time except for maybe 1 hour while at hospitals. High for the day was 106F. Someone going to drive that charging station next to the unit while we driving down the highways?

[@QALibrary]

Colour me impressed - the accountants and service managers will be both impressed and wanting things like this for fleet operations

[@alexnutcasio936]

Until they have to replace that huge battery pack.

[@GregMcNamer]

And when will that be Alex?

[@alexnutcasio936]

@@GregMcNamer no one knows as they don’t know longevity with even Tesla etc, but I’d imagine 5-7 years is max . That if course depends on how well the battery is maintained.

[@GregMcNamer]

@@alexnutcasio936 lol, there's a lot of Tesla's and Nissan leafs from 2012-14 driving around today just fine. Many 200k+ EVs. Meanwhile, my mom's 2014 escape blew the engine at 145k miles. Not that I'm saying EVs are going to last longer, but there's a TON of fear mongering over batteries.

[@Pepegium]

Since few weeks ago theres an electric ambulance in stockholm , its a mercedes van.

[@ikocheratcr]

Do these come with vehicle to load options? Sometimes in big emergency zones, crews need extra lighting and power tools; just imagine an electric vehicle powering those instead of generators.

[@twodogsandtheirfamily]

Can the mobile charger be fast charged at a 300kW charger? So you can quickly charge up and then dump back to 4 cars further away?

[@waynewilliamson4212]

looks like backup cameras are missing, otherwise really cool.

[@hoodratsaunders]

You can see the backup camera at 14:13. On the center console screen.

[@DougGrinbergs]

7:35 Lightning eMotors mobile EV charging trailer 👍

[@NeverRegretGoingOutside]

An ambulance with a cupholder! Paramedics rejoice

[@jasperli]

Lightning e-motors was just liquidated by its creditors last month.

[@jshdodokiller]

Danfoss is not a Colorado company. Its a danish company, but it has one of its "Danfoss Power Solutions" facilities in Longmont Colorado

[@LightningeMotors]

Right. The Longmont division was UQM before Danfoss purchased them a few years ago.

[@toyotaprius79]

In before all the suspect comments who'd say this will run out of battery halfway to the emergency. Don't we know that with so much overcrowding from underfunding that Ambulances are often held back?

[@garrettkajmowicz]

I volunteer in EMS and currently drive a (PH)EV. That's not really a thing that matters, though it does depend upon how a service is structured. Where I am, ambulances spend most of their time in the ambulance bay. This is because the ambulance crews are stationed at an ambulance station where paperwork, etc., can be done while awaiting dispatch to a call or interfacility transfer. Typical total driving per call for me (station to scene to hospital and back) is less than 25 miles. In-station level-2 charging would easily address the needs of the fleet without issue. Other service organizations involve continual repositioning of ambulances with the goal of reducing the average time to response. In this case the ambulances are out and not guaranteed to be near charging facilities. As public L2/L3 charging grows, this also becomes much more practical. In both cases I can see hospitals putting in L2 or L3 charging equipment to meet the needs of electrified ambulances. There's already a partnership that exists.

[@patrickeverts6274]

What they bought after closing Youngstown station.

[@peterjorgensen3]

What's the towing capacity of this beast?

[@jhomen2003]

CANNONBALL.

[@gkacvinsky]

Inspired by the original Cannonball Run movie...perfect!

[@TorIvanBoine]

how much of that red slush do you drink? Is it a sponsored product? 😀

[@ortingdude]

It's kinda sad that the back has better warning lights than the front.

[@UrCheckMate]

I love evs but ambulance should be hybrid.

[@khalifahmuhammad1574]

Why aren't they using heat pumps?

[@agenhartnahoopiisr]

How much does it cost

[@RobertTuvlin]

1 of the lights on the front of the ambulance doesn't work

[@icare7151]

Is it AWD?

[@LightningeMotors]

No, just rear-wheel drive. This allows for easy integration of our powertrain into Ford's Transit 350HD chassis.

[@icare7151]

@@LightningeMotors As battery technology advances at some point it will be possible and already highly desirable in areas with snow, to have AWD system available in the eFormat.

[@andrewt9204]

One thing you should work on in your videos is the pacing around aimlessly while talking, it's pretty distracting as the videographer has to also keep adjusting. I get it though, because I feel like I walk 3 miles every time I talk on the phone. It's such a strange subconscious reflex. And hey, that ride you took was a $1000 USD value! Sadly...

[@shelbydog150]

How many times can one human use the word EPIC in a video?

[@Oxmustube]

I know i am old, but when Kyle used a phone to calculate x50...UGH!!!!

[@raducristiandumitrescu1806]

Cost a lot but how they will gonna charge that because they are always on the job, always ?!?!?!!

[@PygKLB]

Our diesel ambulance is plugged in while at the station, to keep all the equipment ready to go. Plugging an EV in at the end of a call would be little different. The mobile charger at 8:00 would be for extended calls or mass-casualty incidents where there will be lots of driving

[@lyfandeth]

No backup camera? That's sloppy.

[@hoodratsaunders]

You can see the backup camera at 14:13. On the center console screen.

[@charlottelanvin7095]

Kyle, are you back with Alyssa? Haven't seen Anna in a while...

[@Josh-179]

Anna has a full time job so won't be a big presence on the channel. While Alyssa works with the channel.

[@GregMcNamer]

Not certain, but seems like Alyssa is just continuing with her job and her and Kyle are still friends (or at least friendly). That or they're in a polyamorous relationship. As curious as I am, it doesn't matter 😅

[@murmaider2]

I hope Californians get these first lol

[@ArnoldWinters]

Epic, is an over used word. It reduces the point you are making.

[@Abhi-fx3gb]

that costs $1000 to use, classic americans

[@dianastockton365]

It is not always getting there as fast as possible. The key is not having to stop or being delayed by traffic. Those are the major delays. You don't see ambulances driving 100mph down the highway. In fact is some cases you may actually be passing them if you are speeding. Many ambulance services put in monitoring equipment to insure the vehicle is not overly stressed. That adds substantially to the maintenance costs. I spent some years in the Fire Service occasionally driving the Paramedic vehicles back to the hospital during trauma issues. During these rides the Paramedic was able to log it as a non-standard employee as we did not necessarily drive it as smooth as required.

[@drwheycooler8423]

An AMR ambulance is driven hard and abused. When you drive an ev hard you reduce the capacity of the battery substantially. Hybrids need to happen first... Also, you didn't use an approved backer. AMR would write you up for that...😂

[@ElonMuskTheOne]

10:50 what? Here we have an adult person who can't divide 38 by 2! facepalm!!!

[@JB-mn2gu]

Cmon ,Kyle , your better than this 50oz drink look. If you need a crutch get a cane.

[@czamman]

Kyle, put down the slurpee and think about it... if someone has serious injuries, are you going to ride in a van ambulance or helicopter ambulance? No emergency vehicle is faster. Blowing through lights and traffic is all Hollywood. People don't care anymore and they take their sweet time moving over. Forget about the idiot that's jamming a good song and doesn't see or hear you. All not your fault but they all have lawyers ready to sue. EV ambulances makes all the sense in the world. Saves taxpayers money and a few acres of forest. Nice vlog 😊👍

[@throttlewatch4614]

What about long term? And service? Who’s going to work on it ? Just like any EV all great on the surface but the REAL questions are left out

[@JasonsLabVideos]

Sorry sir we can't come to your AID our battery is dead in the Ambulance! Can you wait 5 hours while we charge ?

[@TotallyJoel]

First 😏

[@SilentServiceCode]

Fruity Starbucks drink running low 🚨🚨🚨

[@kottuning3294]

So what.. Are you back with Alyssa again? Anyone notice the new girl has been absent lately and Alyssa is appearing in all the past 10 videos or so.

[@pauld6967]

If you want to see what it would be like for a patient to be flinging about in the back of an ambulance, all you need to do is watch the _'Top Gear'_ episode. Of course I am referring to the real _'Top Gear'_ with Clarkson, Hammond and May, not the more recent and far inferior version of the show.

[@Chase-simba1]

This is literally the worst idea ever...sorry Your loved one died because we ran out of charge

[@snakeeyes9246]

Either that, or you get diagnosed with lung cancer and die anyway.

[@LightningeMotors]

The ambulance shown in this video has a range of 140 miles, while utilizing onboard equipment. Most ambulances operate within a 20 mile radius of the hospital they are servicing. Therefore, running out of charge isn't a real issue for this application.

[@Chase-simba1]

@@LightningeMotors Until the unexpected happens because you know...... life

[@-KingOfKhaos]

@@LightningeMotors Which tells me you’ve never had experience in any meaningful way in EMS operations. Sh*T happens in the streets… it isn’t just the distance between the station and the hospital…

[@JonathanDeaux]

@@LightningeMotors WHAT? Just yesterday I worked a 12 hour shift, 4 emergencies and 1 IFT (400 miles round trip). 11.5 of those hours was ON THE ROAD! 580 miles! Only stops were for diesel fuel twice, each fueling took maybe 10 minutes. When I did get back to the station, turned over equipment and narcs to new crew, they were on a call in less than 10 minutes. That would be roughly 4 recharges in that 12 hour shift. What's the charge time from 1-2% to 100%?

[@blattimus]

Here’s a better fuel choice: diesel. That way we won’t put patient lives at risk over silly pointless environmental virtue signalling.

[@zacheslick]

I Keep forgeting there next to Disneyland LOL- Would love to see kyle Review the Monorail 🚝 🚝