Because bikes can skirt around traffic jams – and park just about anywhere – they're often faster than cars on congested city streets. That's why bicycle couriers exist, and it's also why the Emergency Bikes ebike ambulance was created.
The vehicle was designed by PR/tech development firm Wunderman Thompson Paris, in partnership with French electric mobility company Ecox Enterprises. Additional input was provided by UMP (Paris Emergency Services) and cargo bike manufacturer Urban Arrow, the latter of which provided the cargo ebike that serves as the base.
Added onto that bike is a 150-liter insulated storage box for medical supplies, a 140-decibel horn, a high-intensity flashing blue LED, medical symbols on the wheel covers, anti-puncture tires, a GPS unit that allows for location tracking, and a USB port for powering portable devices.
The bottom bracket motor is powered by two 500-Wh lithium batteries, reportedly providing an electric-assisted pedalling range of up to 160 km (99 miles). Hydraulic disc brakes give the bike plenty of stopping power.
A Wunderman Thompson representative tells us that Emergency Bikes are currently available "to any emergency service that is interested," and that several such groups have already requested bikes. In fact, a doctor who tested the prototype in Paris this summer has since bought the first production bike, and now uses it on a daily basis when responding to emergency calls within the city. Needless to say, conventional ambulances are still required for transporting patients to the hospital.
The bikes can be seen in action, in the following video.
Sources: Wunderman Thompson Paris, Ecox Enterprises via Bicitech
