Electric Fire Truck Could Revolutionize Emergency Vehicles

The world’s first all-electric fire truck is about to get an extended field test. Volvo Penta and its Austrian partner, Rosenbauer, are putting their electrified Concept Fire Truck (CFT) through the paces in preparation for real-world customer testing with fire departments in Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai.

The unique contraption – that looks more like a bus than a fire engine – will use a diesel generator as backup, and while Volvo claims it’ll help address “global megatrends such as climate change, shifting demographics and urbanization,” it’s a lot more than that.

Since the CFT is designed for the harshest of environments, it’s not enough to simply swap out the power source. According to Volvo, the electric fire truck “boasts excellent ergonomics, functionality, and safety, as well as high loading volumes, compact dimensions and one-of-a-kind agility.”

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas – whose division has also purchased a CFT – has signed off on its maneuverability.

"I was doing doughnuts in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium," he said.

The CFT measures about 7.6 x 2.35 x 3 meters, and its two batteries (with 100-kilowatt hours of charge capacity) supposedly allow for about 2 hours of operation, notwithstanding the diesel backup. And the $1.2 million might seem steep, but it’s apparently right in-line with a typical aerial ladder truck.

The LAFD should have their CFT in early 2021, and the FDs in Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai before that.