The City of Cologne is setting new standards in sustainability and efficiency: With the introduction of the first ambulance with a purely electric drive, the Cologne Fire Department is taking an important step towards environmentally friendly emergency care. The vehicle was presented by City Director Andrea Blome and Federal Transport Minister Dr. Volker Wissing on Thursday, 12 October 2023, at Fire Station 2 in Marienburg.
The electric ambulance is one of 85 new WAS 500 ambulances for the Cologne ambulance service that will successively replace the current vehicle fleet over the next four years.
The WAS 500 E-ambulance will be stationed at the fire station in Marienburg and will be put through its paces during its total service life of six years. The intensive test phase in practical operation is intended to gather knowledge in order to further expand the electrification of other emergency vehicles.
In addition, the Marienburg fire and rescue station is to be expanded as a pilot e-guard station in the future. In addition to the electric ambulance, the electrically powered emergency vehicles currently being procured will also be stationed and tested there.
80 % of the additional costs for the electric drive of the E-ambulance are financed by the "Förderprogramm für klimaschonende Nutzfahrzeuge" (KsNI) of the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport.
