In the first half of July, an announced testing of the rented Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid, the first prototype vehicle in a hospital in the Czech Republic, took place. VFN wants to use the ecological vehicle in commercial transport to distribute material in all clinics in Prague.

From the new vehicle, Jiří Pala, Deputy Director for Technology and Operations, promised to reduce costs compared to a classic diesel vehicle by thirty percent and to significantly save the environment.

How did the testing go and how did it turn out?

In a total of 14 days, the drivers of our hospital drove about 600 kilometers, mostly between individual VFN clinics. "I am glad that what I was convinced was confirmed to me. This type of vehicle, ie an electric car, is ideal for the needs of our hospital, " evaluates Jiří Pala and explains why: "Due to daily runs of about 50 kilometers, we noticed that the vehicle did not need to be recharged. This fulfilled what was expected of him in particular: ZERO EMISSIONS! 

From the economic point of view, according to Deputy Minister Jiří Pala, it clearly fits into the concept of fleet renewal, as the purchase price of the tested model was approximately 895 thousand crowns without VAT. Compared to the version with a diesel engine and automatic transmission (which is ideal for operation within the VFN premises), the difference is only 100 thousand crowns.

In this case, the operating costs, which the diesel version (service, fuel) has about 50 percent higher, will be loaded into the electric car cards. The difference in the investment will be settled after about 3 years. It follows that, in the long run, this would be a significant saving for VFN. "The hybrid managed its function and left a smile on the lips of the drivers," said Jiří Pala😊, evaluating the experience with the tested electric car.