You’ve probably seen an ambulance at a gas station before, but it was probably responding to an emergency instead of filling up. Ambulances have tons of ground to cover fairly quickly, so where do the drivers get gas? 

Where does an ambulance get gas? 

An ambulance can get fuel at the ambulance station or other places designated for city vehicles. For example, police officers typically use gas pumps at the police station or at pumps that are hidden from view. 

The public often doesn’t notice gas stations located near courthouses or office buildings that are designated for city employees. 

But if EMT drivers are in a pinch, they can use any gas station. They are equipped with a card to pay for the fuel. 

Ambulances can be equipped with gas or diesel engines. In northern regions, gas engines are preferred because diesels are a bit moodier in colder climates. 

Diesel engines are often preferred in the south because they’re more reliable and efficient. Plus, diesel is seen as the safer choice after a string of fires broke out among gas-powered ambulances in the 1980s. Diesel is less volatile than diesel. 

But at the end of the day, the automat manufacturer decides what type of engine the ambulances will have. Ford was extremely pro-diesel until 2010, when it switched to gas engines for ambulances to meet rising emission standards. 

The United Kingdom is currently working on making every abundance fully electric as part of its Net Zero campaign by 2045. 

I’m not sure if electric vehicles are there yet. It’s much faster to get gas in the event of an emergency than to charge a battery. Perhaps hybrid ambulance models will arrive first. 

Ambulances get about six to 20 mpg depending on its size, type, engine, and weight. Diesel models are more efficient but either way, the fuel tanks are massive so drivers don’t have to fill up as often. 

Most cities keep a set amount of ambulance models in action at all times to be ready to respond whenever an emergency strikes.