With the goal to increase patient access to healthcare through a mobile unit with reduced vehicle emissions, Winnebago announced the development of the first all-electric Mobile Lung Unit (eMLU).
Powered by a Ford F-53 based EPIC 6 all-electric chassis from Motiv Power Systems, the specialty healthcare vehicle features the state-of-the-art Samsung NeuroLogica BodyTom Elite, the world’s first portable, full-body, 32-slice CT scanner.
The eMLU vehicle is wrapped featuring the American Lung Association and the Ad Council’s Saved By The Scan initiative to promote the early detection of lung cancer through screening. According to the American Lung Association, approximately 8 million people in the U.S. are at high risk for lung cancer and are eligible for screening. While the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends lung cancer screening through low-dose CT scanners for those considered at high risk, screening is currently underutilized. To help increase awareness and availability of screening for those considered high risk, the eMLU can travel city-to-city to provide easy access to lung diagnostic services. Individuals can take a lung cancer screening eligibility quiz at SavedByTheScan.org.
Winnebago displayed the vehicle in San Francisco, at both CALSTART’s Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero Workshop and the Global Climate Action Summit 2018.
Mobile Lung Unit features:
– The world’s first portable, battery-powered, full-body, 32-slice CT scanner, BodyTom, featuring an innovative internal drive system that can be easily transported
– Motiv Power Systems all-electric/zero-emissions EPIC chassis, removing the need to idle an engine
– Vehicle holds enough charge for eight hours of service plus round-trip travel to and from its home facility
– Vehicle charges to half its full capacity in two hours and 75 percent of capacity in four hours
– Vehicle has completed significant road testing and delivers an expected range of 85 to 125 miles on a full charge
Winnebago partnered with Motiv Power Systems, Inc., the U.S. market leader in chassis for medium-duty electric vehicles, for the development and supply of the EPIC all-electric powered chassis after their joint strategic partnership announcement earlier this year. Based on the average cost of fuel in the US, the eMLU is expected to save $150,000-$200,000 in combined diesel fuel and maintenance savings. Winnebago anticipates the ROI of eMLU vehicles compared to internal combustion engine versions to be as little as three years.
