Excerpts from motorbiscuit.com:
Emergency vehicles are everywhere. If you’ve ever been inside of an ambulance, it is important it is that they come with a ton of equipment and have the ability to swiftly and safely transport someone to the hospital. So who makes the most ambulances, and what makes them perfect for transporting people during emergencies? You might not be surprised to learn that it’s Ford. Here’s what comes in Ford emergency vehicles.
Ford makes the most ambulance chassis of any auto manufacturer. Most, called Type I, are built on a pickup truck chassis. American Emergency Vehicles dominates the market in this type of ambulance using primarily Ford chassis. These include platforms from the F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-650.
Of the roughly 78,000 ambulances in the United States, a good number of them are also Type II, built on a van chassis. There are also Type III, built on a smaller van chassis, and medium-duty ambulances.
There are three options for a chassis for a Type I from Ford, these include the F-350, F-450, and F-550. These chassis cabs come with a 6.7-liter V8 diesel engine or a 7.3-liter gas engine. There’s also a Type I Medium Duty chassis, which comes in 11 different wheelbase lengths and three different cab configurations. There are three powertrain choices, including a 6.7-liter V8 turbodiesel engine that can make 270 hp and 675 lb-ft of torque or 300 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque. The same engine choice can also come with the ability to make 330 hp and 725 lb-ft of torque.
In addition, the Type I Medium Duty ambulance has hydraulic or air brakes with traction control, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and an available rear suspension package available. Also optional is driver assistance technology with electronic stability control.
A Type II ambulance is smaller than a Type I or a Type I Medium Duty, and it’s based on a van chassis. In the case of the Ford Type II ambulance, it’s the Ford Transit van with an Ambulance Prep Package and a 3.5-liter V6 engine matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission. There are two roof heights and three body lengths as well as add on optional privacy glass.
The Type III is built on a cutaway truck chassis. For Ford, that means the Ford Transit cutaway chassis. This comes with an Ambulance Prep Package and a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Type III ambulance also has the choice of three wheelbase lengths.
In addition, a Type III ambulance is built on a Ford E-350 Super Duty cutaway or an E-450 Super Duty cutaway chassis. This comes with the Ambulance Prep package, a 7.3-liter V8 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
thanks Martin
