We are excited to announce that City Science has been successfully awarded a Transport Research and Innovation Grant to support the project: Powering Blue Light Services through Civil Emergencies using Novel Technologies.
The Grant
The Department for Transport (DfT) and Connected Places Catapult offer Transport Research and Innovation Grants to public, private and third sector organisations, with innovative research projects aimed at improving transport systems. City Science are one of just 40 companies and institutions to be awarded the £45k of funding this year.
Background to the project
City Science have partnered with Yorkshire Ambulance Service to build an integrated modelling framework that quantifies the future energy demands of electric vehicle ambulance fleets. The project will also determine the potential for on-site renewable energy and battery storage to meet energy needs during power outages and other crisis conditions.
The government’s target to phase out the use of petrol and diesel vehicles requires emergency services to transition to electric fleets. These vehicles will need to remain operational at all times in order to respond to emergency situations. For vehicles relying on an electricity supply from the national grid, a power outage presents a significant challenge to maintaining services.
To plan for these events, it is important that emergency services understand how much energy they will require during a grid outage and how they can meet demand with on-site storage and renewable energy generation.
The project will provide a vital foundation for future investment and resilience planning for emergency services across the UK. Through stakeholder engagement with additional emergency services our work ensures a tailored and integrated approach. It highlights our continued role in supporting planning for the future, including the impact of the net zero transition and climate change.