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East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has secured a £411,000 grant to expand its electric vehicle charging infrastructure across its estate.
The investment represents a major step in the organisation’s net zero ambitions and will support its growing fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles.
New charge points will be installed at key operational sites as part of a phased rollout, helping to ensure reliable access to charging for frontline and support teams. Staff will also benefit from improved accessibility to chargers as demand increases.
EMAS currently operates 153 electric and hybrid vehicles, covering Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services, mental health response, community first responders, ambulance crews and support services. With its fleet accounting for 72% of direct carbon emissions, electrification has become a central focus of the organisation’s sustainability strategy.
The funding forms part of the NHS Chargepoint Accelerator Scheme, an £8m initiative from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, delivered through the Department for Transport and the Department for Health and Social Care. The programme is designed to accelerate the adoption of cleaner transport across the NHS. It also aligns with the wider health service target of achieving net zero for directly controlled emissions by 2040, with an interim goal of reducing emissions by 80% between 2028 and 2032.
Alongside the environmental benefits, EMAS emphasised the role of electric and hybrid vehicles in improving air quality and supporting healthier communities in the East Midlands. The move also reflects national policy, with the government set to end sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 and hybrid models by 2035.
Cara Turton-Chambers, Head of Sustainability at EMAS, said the grant marked both a practical step forward and part of a much larger transition.
“With the government’s commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, and to allow hybrid vehicles until 2035, we’re building the infrastructure now. This will ensure our fleet and teams are resilient and ready to deliver care in a future where electric mobility is the norm.”
Cara Turton-Chambers, Head of Sustainability at EMAS.
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