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EV & Sustainability

St John Ambulance trials BYD Sealion 7 for 999 calls

BYD has supplied a fully-liveried, blue light-equipped Sealion 7, with the 530PS twin-motor powertrain.

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St John Ambulance is trialling a BYD Sealion 7 electric vehicle (EV) to respond to 999 calls in the East of England.

BYD has supplied a fully-liveried, blue light equipped Sealion 7, with the 530PS twin-motor powertrain.

The Sealion 7 has a 312-mile range and a 520-litre boot, which BYD said is sufficient to carry medical equipment and emergency medicines.

Crews from St John Ambulance provide clinical assessments and life-saving aid ahead of ambulance crews arriving.

Co-responders such as St John Ambulance arrive first in 94% of incidents they are dispatched first to, and often treat and discharge patients at the scene, allowing NHS ambulances to be used for more urgent calls.

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The pilot scheme will be six months long and will measure the impact on patient outcomes, informing a decision on expanding the scheme to other regions.

St John Ambulance is working alongside the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) on the trial.

Jeanette Griggs, national corporate and public sector manager at BYD UK, said: “BYD is extremely proud to support St John Ambulance by supplying a Sealion 7 for the EEAST trial.

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“The vital work St John Ambulance carries out in communities across the country saves lives, and we believe the Sealion 7’s fully electric performance, impressive range and practical cabin make it ideally suited to support their co-responders. 

“We’re excited to see the positive impact this trial will have for St John Ambulance and the communities they serve.”

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Tom Willis, head of clinical standards for St John Ambulance, added: “We are immensely grateful to BYD for loaning a fully electric response car.

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“Having a dedicated response vehicle for this pilot is essential to ensuring our volunteers can reach patients quickly and begin care at the earliest possible moment.

“This scheme is about working in partnership with our NHS colleagues to provide additional support where it is most needed, helping to improve outcomes for patients while also easing pressure on frontline resources.

“The early results we are seeing are very encouraging. Our teams are reaching patients quickly, providing immediate care, and in some cases resolving incidents without the need for an ambulance to attend.

“That is a positive outcome both for patients and for the wider health system.

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“The loan of the BYD Sealion 7 will help us use donations for life-saving interventions, rather than on rising fuel costs, helping us to run the scheme more efficiently and with greater impact.”

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