Chevys for Northumbria
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• Northumbria Ambulance Service has imported two more Chevrolet G30 ambulances. The 6.2-litre vee-eight diesel-powered vehicles join four already in service on front-line accident and emergency work.
All six have bodywork by Wheeled Coach of Orlando, Florida, which produces 1,800 ambulances a year. They come with power steering, air suspension, full anti-lock brakes, and automatic gearbox.
The vee's maximum power output is 116kW (155hp), with the top torque of 386Nm (2851bft) coming in at 2,000rpm.
The triple battery system, powered by a high output alternator, is designed to cope with the increased electrical loads now placed on emergency ambulances.
Northumbria chose the Chevrolets because it wanted a chassis capable of carrying a specially-designed and strengthened body without affecting acceleration and top speed. It opted for long-wheelbase variants with twin rear wheels.
"There are no equivalent vehicles available in the UK or Europe," says Northumbria chief executive Laurie Caple. "Our existing ambulances are al ready working at maximum performance.
"Increasing the body weight to improve passenger safety further would have adversely affected engine performance." The existing front-line fleet is dominated by 71 Renault Masters, predominantly powered by the 2.5-litre turbodiesel. Two were written off in serious road smashes in 1992.
In one accident, a paramedic was killed, in the other, three were injured, one seriously.
Each of the Chevrolets is fitted with a body consisting of an extruded aluminium frame clad with aluminium panels. It is reinforced either side with three separate three-quarter inch mild steel panels, and the rear step assembly is designed to provide impact protection.
Future models will be fitted with airbags.
The Chevrolets cost £60,000 each-30 to 40% more than the Renaults—but the service believes that the alloy bodywork plus the big V3 engine should ensure a longer lifespan. It aims to keep them for 10 years; the Renaults remain on the fleet for seven years.
In terms of fuel and maintenance expenditure, Northumbria calculates each Chevrolet will cost 43,000 per year less than the Renaults.
Wheeled Coach UK, the Florida company's independently-owned British importer, is based in Braintree, Essex.