The number of blue light vehicles (police, fire and ambulance) powered by electric has more than doubled in the last three years.

There are now more than 1,000 zero emissions emergency vehicles in operation across the UK, according to an in-depth Freedom of Information request by charging network Gridserve.

The data shows that fire brigades are leading the charge, making the switch to electric quicker than ambulance services and police forces. Currently, there are five fire services operating a fleet with over 10 per cent of electric vehicles, while the most eco-friendly blue light fleet is operated by Gloucestershire Police with 25 per cent of its vehicles powered by electricity.

After Gloucestershire Police the most electrically charged services are Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (24 per cent), Avon Fire and Rescue Service (17 per cent) and then Suffolk Fire and Rescue and London Fire Brigade (both at 12 per cent).

There is also now a commercially available all-electric fire engine (the E1 EV0 by Emergency One) and an electric ambulance from Ford, which was deployed on its first EV 999 callout in January 2024 by the London Ambulance Service.

A study by Cenex of one police force found over 75 per cent of the fleet could be replaced by battery electric vehicles with no impact operations while lowering costs and reducing emissions. Despite the rapid increase in electric emergency service vehicles, though, the total figure stands at just 3.3 per cent of the total blue flight fleet across the UK.

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