AR Gould maintenance trucks go electric

Date: 07/24/2023

Presque Isle, Maine (July 25, 2023) — Northern Light AR Gould Hospital’s Maintenance Department recently upgraded two of its trucks to the growing fleet of Electric Vehicles at Northern Light Health. You may have already seen two Ford F-150 Lightning trucks on the roads of Aroostook County. These trucks are used for maintenance calls, as well as for courier services between facilities on the weekend.

“It makes sense for the Maintenance Department in particular, as heavy equipment can be hauled in the rear bed, and tools can be stored in the front due to the increased storage capacity, all thanks to the absence of a gas-powered engine,” said Jesse Renaud, associate vice president of facilities at AR Gould. “Even more importantly, this is part of our way of reducing our carbon foot print. These trucks are one of several projects that we are working on to reduce carbon emissions and be more enviromentally friendly.”

Northern Light Health has committed to reduce emissions 50% by 2030 and to acheive net-zero emissions by 2050.

The two Ford F-150 Lightning trucks can run up to 240 miles on a single charge at no fuel or oil costs, and since AR Gould is connected to the Canadian electric grid, electricity used to charge the vehicles is sourced from hydro and nuclear plants. They maintain a high towing capacity of 775 foot pounds of torque, can carry a heavy pay-load of more than 2,200 pounds, have a 14.1 cubic foot cargo capacity and boast 4x4 off-road capability with two powerful motors, one mounted on each axle, according to Ford Motor Company’s website.

The hospital’s next big carbon emissions project is the replacement of the hospital’s steam powered chiller with an electric system.

More information on Northern Light Health’s sustainability efforts can be found at https://www.northernlighthealth.org/sustainability.