Ayro, a designer and manufacturer of light-duty, short-haul, and last-mile delivery electric vehicles (EVs), has launched an electric vaccine vehicle (EVV), designed specifically to mobilize a flexible, safe, and efficient means of delivering vaccines and testing to millions of people.
Element Fleet Management will offer sales, financing solutions, and vehicle management services throughout the vehicle lifecycle to EVV fleet operators. Club Car will provide sales and service support for the vehicles to Element and its clients. Each company will leverage its national footprint and expertise to facilitate the deployment of EVVs and meet urgent demand.
The EVV is a self-contained, all-electric transportation solution that has been optimized to store, transport, and deliver testing and vaccines to a large population across a wide variety of environments and locations. The zero-emissions vehicle features medical-grade equipment and a made-to-order design by Ayro and mobile cart designer Gallery. When partnered with community healthcare systems, it makes safe and rapid COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution possible by reaching patients in need and managing demand at aggregation centers. It can traverse tight areas and help reduce wait times at central distribution locations by meeting patients at their place in line. When configured as a street-legal vehicle, it can serve populations unable to get to vaccination sites because they don’t have access to transportation —including millions of high-risk older adults and low-income households.
Additional EVV benefits include:
Medical-grade equipment — Each EVV is outfitted with an ultra-low temperature freezer and refrigeration units with Bluetooth-enabled data loggers and temperature monitoring devices to virtually track and log live inside readings and pharmaceutical conditions, which follows the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) guidelines to safely store and distribute vaccines. There is also on-board medical-grade storage, mobile onboard sinks, and other features designed to meet the needs of mobile healthcare providers and patients.
Zero emissions, zero exhaust — The 100% electric vehicle can be moved into and operated indoors to allow medical providers to treat patients virtually anywhere without greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or fumes.
No specialized EV charging infrastructure required — The EVV has a 50-mile driving range plus approximately six to eight hours of equipment operation on a single charge (depending on EVV configuration and driving conditions), or can provide all-day operations if plugged in. Each vehicle can be charged and/or operated using a standard 110V/20amp outlet, so no EV charging infrastructure is required.
Compact size — The vehicle enables more patient access, even within space-constrained locations. Each vehicle as a vaccine station takes up less than 100 square feet, allowing for easy group deployments. Vaccine administration can also happen while the patient is still inside his or her own vehicle or directly outside of the EVV for a rapid, drive-through experience.
Street legal EVV configuration — Select EVV configurations can be registered and licensed to operate at 25 mph on city streets with posted speeds up to 35 mph. The low-speed EV can also maneuver through car-free zones bringing essential services directly to patients that need them.
The EVV can also be adapted for future needs — disaster relief, annual flu shot distribution, medical testing, food services, and more — with clearly identifiable vehicle branding customized to convey each use case. The vehicle can also be leased rather than purchased reducing the impact to capital budgets, while also providing flexibility in the lifecycle. The EVV Roadshow is taking place across major U.S. cities in March and April for local governments and organizations to experience the vehicle in-person.
