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Swedish company Everdrone has launched the E3, a next-generation medical transport drone developed entirely in-house to enhance emergency response capabilities.
The new aircraft marks a significant transition for the Gothenburg-based firm, which previously utilized the E2 development platform based on commercial components. This shift to proprietary development was driven by a lack of commercially available hardware capable of meeting the specific rigors of emergency medical care.
Mats Sällström, CEO of Everdrone, commented, “The new drone is faster, safer, and can carry heavier payloads. This will save lives.”
Engineering improvements allow the E3 to carry a 4.5 kg payload, more than doubling the 2 kg capacity of its predecessor. The redesigned payload module is flexible, moving beyond the single-defibrillator limit of the E2. It can now transport various medical supplies including adrenaline for anaphylactic reactions, opioid overdose antidotes, bandages, and tourniquets.
The E3 measures 90 × 75 × 55 cm excluding propellers and weighs 24 kg. It features four rotor pairs with eight blades, utilizing a mix of OEM products and proprietary components from suppliers such as Ligpower and Aston Harald Composite. A proprietary damping system enables the drone to maintain a vibration-free cruising speed exceeding 80 km/h.
Sällström, added, “Our initial focus was on developing software for drone services, but we realized that there were no commercially available drones that matched the needs of emergency medical care. Therefore, we chose to develop our own.”
Operating autonomously under the monitoring of a drone operator, the E3 is designed to bridge the critical time gap before traditional emergency services arrive. In Sweden, where ambulance response times average ten minutes, the fast responder drone is intended to reach an emergency scene in under three minutes.
“Allowing drones to transport emergency medical equipment significantly reduces transport time. On average in Sweden, it takes ten minutes for an ambulance to arrive at an emergency scene. While waiting for an ambulance, Everdrone’s new drone can be on site in under three minutes, making it a complement to emergency medical services that saves lives,” says Mats Sällström.
The drone’s battery capacity is designed to provide a solid margin for various deployment types, with the company continuously evaluating battery suppliers to further improve endurance and performance.
