Home care nurses in EV trial

A Canberra home care provider is trialing the use of an electric vehicle by home care nurses as it moves to ramp up sustainability measures.

A Canberra aged care provider is trialing the use of an electric vehicle by home care nurses as it moves to ramp up sustainability measures amid increasing demand for community services.

Stephen Holmes

As part of the 12 month trial, local electricity provider ActewAGL will provide Goodwin Aged Care with an EV and charging station.

The Hyundia IONIQ, which retails for around $58,000, will be used by home care nurses to deliver services to clients in Canberra and surrounding regions.

Goodwin Chief Operating Officer Stephen Holmes says the pilot comes as the provider responds to an upswing in demand for home care services with increasing numbers of carers and nurses travelling to clients’ homes.

Reducing transport costs

“With home care services increasing in Goodwin and throughout Australia, the use of EVs will mean this transportation does not come at such a cost to the environment,” he told Community Care Review.

He says integrating an EV adds to Goodwin’s efforts to move towards a net zero future, including the use of environmentally-friendly design in its villages and facilities, the installation of solar PV systems, and initiatives to reduce waste.

General manager of retail at ActewAGL Rachael Turner says EVs provide a practical and meaningful way for home care providers to lower their emissions profile while continuing to provide services.

“Electric vehicles offer a sustainable alternative to vehicles run on petrol and diesel, with plenty of available range for the majority of daily driving and flexibility regarding private and public charging solutions,” she told Community Care Review.

Having the ability to charge an EV on site also means users don’t need to take out time to fill up with petrol between client visits, she says.

She acknowledges while the upfront cost of electric vehicles is currently relatively high, it’s expected that in time a broader range of vehicles at different prices will become available, making them more accessible to the home care sector.

ActewAGL also offers special deals and finance plans for aged care providers.

Ms Turner says ActewAGL intends to expand the program after the conclusion of the current trial.

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Tags: actewAGL, Electric-vehicles, goodwin-aged-care, sustainability,

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