Type A is a patient transport vehicle, Type B is an emergency ambulance, and Type C is a mobile intensive care unit. The categories come from EN 1789 and differ in compartment volume, equipment level and electrical capacity. Most fleets need a mix rather than one type, because the three roles have different call volumes.
Type A carries patients who need monitoring and a stretcher but not active resuscitation. The compartment is compact, the equipment set is basic, and the vehicle is often a van conversion. It is the workhorse for dialysis runs, inter-facility transfers and discharge transport.
Type B adds the capacity to treat en route: oxygen, suction, defibrillation, infusion and a wider working space around the stretcher. This is the vehicle most people picture when they hear ambulance, and it is the backbone of emergency response in most cities.
Type C is a mobile intensive care unit. The compartment is larger, often a box body rather than a van, with room for a second attendant, a ventilator, a multi-parameter monitor and a full drug stock. It is used for critical transfers and for pre-hospital care where the vehicle functions as an extension of the emergency department.
Running only Type C vehicles is a common and expensive mistake. They cost more to buy, more to fuel and more to maintain, and their capability is wasted on routine transport. A fleet that analyses its call mix usually ends up with a majority of Type A or B units and a small number of Type C units for critical work.
Usually Type A or light Type B. Most clinic journeys are transfers of stable patients, and a Type C vehicle would spend its capability on routine work.
Rarely on the same body. The electrical system, compartment volume and equipment mounting are designed together, so upgrading usually means a new build rather than a retrofit.
Yes. EN 1789 is the European standard for medical vehicles and ambulances, and it can be used as the design basis for a build. It defines compartment ...
Fleet planning and applicationsHow many ambulances does a fleet actually need?Fleet size follows demand, not population. The workable method is to count the calls per day, multiply by average response and turnaround time, divide...
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