LANCASTER – When Samaritan’s Purse opened an emergency field hospital in the Antelope Valley Hospital parking lot last month to care for COVID-19 patients, the structure displaced AV Hospital employees who would have normally parked in the lot now assigned to the field hospital.
Although the field hospital was a much welcomed support to the local healthcare system, the longer walk for hospital employees from farther located parking lots was not. The recent inclement weather in the Antelope Valley would have made the walk miserable for many doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff had it not been for Antelope Valley Transit Authority and GreenPower Motor Company.
“These vital health care professionals have given so much and worked so hard for our community. When we saw the need, we knew we had to do something to help them arrive to work a little more refreshed,” said AVTA Chairman of the Board Marvin Crist. “The city of Lancaster turned to AVTA who then contacted their supplier GreenPower Motor Company.”
AVTA and GreenPower Motor Company joined in a partnership to help with this unique transportation need. AVTA had been using eight GreenPower EV Star vehicles for its On Request Microtransit Ride Service pilot program that is currently operating in Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock, Pearblossom, and Sun Village.
AVTA contacted its vehicle partner at GreenPower Motor Company, who agreed to help meet the need at AV Hospital by supplying one of their all-electric vehicles free of charge. A GreenPower Motor Company EV Star was put into service at AV Hospital to transport employees to and from the main hospital buildings.
“When we received the request, our leadership was thrilled to partner with AVTA and the city of Lancaster to serve the AV Community in this manner,” said Ryne Shetterly, vice president of sales and marketing at GreenPower Motor Company. “GreenPower and AVTA have been great partners over the past year, introducing AV residents to the GreenPower EV Star vehicles through the On Request Microtransit pilot program.”
According to GreenPower, zero emissions vehicles are cheaper to operate and passengers can get higher quality service. The GreenPower EV Star is the only “purpose built” zero emissions vehicle in its class, meaning it was designed from the ground up to be battery electric and zero emissions. This all electric vehicle has the largest battery pack in its class with 118kWh and a range of up to 150 miles.
[Information via news release from the Antelope Valley Transit Authority.]
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