Amsterdam, July 17th 2018 - The Dutch city of Delft is the first city worldwide to have an electric vehicle charging station equipped with a pole that holds an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This unique initiative is seen as a good solution for the lack of publicly accessible AEDs. This morning, the first AED-equipped charging station was officially revealed in the presence of local citizens and city representatives.
AEDs are portable electronic medical devices designed to allow first-aid helpers (including local volunteers with only basic training) to provide defibrillation to victims suffering from (sudden) cardiac arrest. In the US alone, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year according to the American Heart Association.
In the Netherlands, there is a lack of public locations with an AED that is accessible 24/7. The Delft-based organisation City AED decided to take action by equipping electric vehicle charging stations with an AED. Many Dutch cities have a good network of public charging stations, which are typically installed in easily accessible and central locations on the streets (Amsterdam is a well-known example).
We're happy and honoured that we're able to contribute to this great initiative by City AED and the city of Delft. Combining our public charging stations with an AED is a smart idea, one with life-saving potential. We like participating in these kinds of 'creative' collaborations as they contribute to our long-term goal of creating a better, greener, and healthier world.Kristof Vereenooghe, CEO EVBox
City AED is working together with charging station manufacturer EVBox to realize this pilot project in Delft. EVBox is supplying the charging station, while City AED is managing the AED and the special storage system and is fully responsible for its functionality, installation, and maintenance. The AED itself runs on an internal battery, which is not connected to the charging station and always keeps functioning independently (also during for example a power outage).
By installing as many AEDs as possible next to public charging stations, we're setting up the foundation for a national network. The city of Delft and EVBox have completed the first installation, for which we're very grateful to them. Now we're inviting other cities and municipalities to follow this initiative.Marcel Mattijssen, City AED
