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Ahead of switching half of its fleet to hybrid vehicles, a cohort of drivers from Bedford Hospital’s Primrose Car Service has received free electric/hybrid vehicle training, preparing them for the transition.
Delivering the training from its dedicated EV training suite, Autotech Training had a very personal reason to educate the volunteer drivers after the CEO of its parent company, Autotech Group, was recently driven from his Bedfordshire home to Addenbrookes Hospital for daily radiotherapy treatment.
Established in 2006 by Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends, The Primrose Car Service is managed by the East of England Ambulance Service and provides free transport to cancer patients living in Bedfordshire who are receiving radiotherapy treatment at Addenbrookes Hospital.
Around 2,000 patient journeys are made every year by 30 volunteer drivers who make the round trip from the homes of oncology patients from Bedford Hospital to Addenbrookes in Cambridge.
After hearing that three of the six fleet cars would soon be replaced by hybrid vehicles, Autotech Group CEO, Gavin White, offered The Primrose Car Service drivers EV training.
On Saturday, Autotech Training swung open its doors to almost 20 of the drivers for two separate training sessions.
Each of the half day IMI Level 1 Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Awareness courses, equipped the drivers with essential knowledge and the unique characteristics and challenges that come with driving electric or hybrid vehicles.
“We received a huge amount of interest from our drivers to attend this course and those who were able to attend on the day found it incredibly informative,” commented Nick Ward, a volunteer driver. “The course was very incredibly useful, and we learned all about the hazards, workings, and benefits of electric and hybrid vehicles. It was also very interesting to hear about the developments taking place regarding hydrogen power in the automotive industry and we found the trainers extremely knowledgeable. We now feel more prepared ahead of the arrival of the new hybrid vehicles.”
“I was delighted to support the drivers who have all been an enormous help to me and my family over the last eight weeks,” comments Gavin. “During my time with them, I started to understand that the forthcoming arrival of the hybrid vehicles was raising concerns for some, and they were keen to understand more about them. The Primrose Car Service, and all of the drivers who give up their time to transport patients like me, are truly excellent and it was a privilege to be able to ‘give back.’"