DETROIT – The City of Detroit ambulance fleet is going green.Last summer, over the summer, the city partnered with NextEnergy and Navitas Systems to retrofit 31 city ambulances with auxiliary power units, saving the City money and improving air quality.
The upgrades are funded by a $1 million grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program. Detroit partnered with NextEnergy, one of the nation’s leading business and technology accelerators, to engage Navitas to implement the new technology.

Equipping nearly its entire fleet with this technology will put the Detroit Fire Department – EMS Division at the forefront among fire departments nationwide in the effort to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Installation of the APUs is expected to begin October 1 and be completed by spring 2016.

The PowerForce solution consists of a set of Navitas Ultanium Group 31 deep-cycle lithium batteries, a battery-powered heating and air-conditioning system, and electronics which provide usage information to both the driver and the fleet manager. The system includes voltage sensors to automatically turn the engine on during a low state of charge.

A standard truck engine consumes between one half and one gallon of fuel per hour during idling. Ambulances typically idle for approximately 30 minutes while attending to an emergency. Leaving the engine running provides the energy necessary to power lighting, communications, heating/air conditioning, and onboard medical equipment. The same amount of time is spent idling at a hospital. In both locations, significant pollution is generated, which can adversely affect medical staff and patients alike.

Here’s how the new system works: The PowerForce idle reduction battery system, manufactured by Navitas Systems, allows ambulance operators to run auxiliary equipment with the main engine off. This will reduce idling time, conserve fuel and reduce pollution. By reducing the time an ambulance spends idling, the APUs also will extend its life expectancy by reducing wear and tear on the engine.