Demers Ambulance and Lion Electric Company unveiled the Demers eFX ambulance in Beloeil, at the company’s North American ambulance assembly facility.
The Demers eFX is the group’s first fully electric ambulance and is expected to be in service by mid-2022. It has also received support from the Quebec government and the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program. This all-Quebec creation required no less than five years of collaboration between Lion Electric and Demers Ambulance.
The ambulance is housed on the company’s Lion5 chassis from the Laurentians north of Montreal, a skeleton developed for electric propulsion that will be assembled by Lion at its Saint-Jérôme facility. The medical portion and final assembly will be completed at Demers Ambulance’s Beloeil facility.
Not surprisingly, the new electric ambulance will be marketed throughout North America, and even worldwide, as Demers Ambulance already offers its products in 43 countries outside North America. The agreement between the two partners calls for at least 1,500 ambulances over the next five years.
Without revealing the details, the two companies confirmed that the medical compartment would be entitled to some innovations to facilitate the life of paramedics who must remain in place with a belt buckled, while providing care to the patient. These new ideas for a modern ambulance will be revealed later in the process, between now and the vehicle’s certification and entry into production.
They said:
“This is a great day for Demers Ambulances! Together with our employees, colleagues, partners, and elected officials who support this project that has become a reality, we are unveiling our 100% electric ambulance, marking the most important evolution in ambulance transportation since the first generation of Demers ambulances 60 years ago. Combining innovation and performance, the 100% electric ambulance is the result of an exceptional collaboration with paramedics and we are particularly proud to see this new vehicle generate so much enthusiasm and excitement from the community! I would like to salute the leadership and genius of the Lion team and thank the Government of Quebec and NRC-IRAP for their support from day one of this ambitious project.
– Alain Brunelle, President of Demers Ambulances
“It’s been five years since the teams at Lion and Demers Ambulances joined forces to develop the 100% electric ambulance we are unveiling today. Thanks to the expertise of Demers Ambulances and Lion, this ambulance is equipped with features never seen before. Lion is very proud to have been a part of this transformative project for the company. And this is just the beginning, as the Lion5 chassis developed by Lion can be used in many other types of vehicles.
– Marc Bédard, President and Founder of Lion
