Electric Fire Engine is a reality in the US

The City of Los Angeles Fire Department welcomed its first electric fire engine, and one of the first in the US. The Rosenbauer RTX will soon enter service at the LAFD Station 82 in Hollywood. Back in 2019, the company brought a prototype on a tour of North America to show it to some fire departments. Recently, the Los Angeles City Council voted to electrify its fleet of 10,000 vehicles.

Once the batteries in the engine reach 20%, an onboard diesel range extender will kick in and recharge the batteries in as little as 45 minutes. This will extend operations for another four to six hours, according to Todd McBridge, RTX sales and marketing manager.

Here are some other features of the LAFD’s engine:

– adjustable suspension can be changed depending on the terrain

– 500-gallon water tank

– can hold up to 1,000 ft. of a 4- or 5-in. hose

– two 6-in. intakes on the rear, plus two auxiliary intakes

– power supply unit that can down-convert the 800 volts to either 220 or 110, replacing the need for a hydraulic, diesel, or gas generator on the vehicle.

Early this year, the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of transitioning the city’s fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles to an electric fleet. The move, which was approved recently, will affect all vehicles in the city’s fleet. The city’s current electric fleet consists of 124 electric sedans, 46 plug-in electric hybrids, and two hybrid electric street sweepers.

The city’s Department of General Services (GSD) will work with departments under its jurisdiction to determine electric vehicle (EV) requires using existing and emerging technologies. The GSD will also work alongside the Bureau of Engeineering and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to assess prioritization and installation of fleet, public, and employee EV chargers at more than 600 GSD-maintained buildings and yards across the city. O’Farrell said the city will need to install 97,000 charging stations by 2030 to keep up with the EV demand.