The Los Angeles Fire Department will be adding a groundbreaking new vehicle to its fleet next year: an electric fire truck. It’ll be the first of its kind to be deployed in North America.
Currently called the CFT (Concept Fire Truck), this high-tech machine was developed by Austria-based Rosenbauer. It’s equipped with a pair of massive 50-kilowatt hour batteries that can power the truck for roughly two hours on their own.
They’re powerful enough to handle assignments, but Rosenbauer supplies an onboard diesel generator (built around a high-efficiency car motor) for operations that are even more demanding.
The truck is highly maneuverable thanks to four-wheel steering, as well as crab steering that allows for sideways movement. 50/50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity make for very stable ride even at higher speeds.
Another trick the CFT has up its sleeves: an adjustable suspension. The truck normally rolls along with about 10 inches of clearance. When loading or unloading crews, it can drop down to just four inches. It can also rise up to almost 20 inches to make it easier to drive through flooded or snow-covered streets.
Rosenbauer has also fitted the CFT with many of the safety features you’ll find in today’s passenger vehicles. It’s packed with cameras and sensors to help the driver avoid hazards on the road. Alerts are provided on-screen as well as via haptics embedded in the driver’s seat.
Once the CFT arrives on the scene it doubles as a mobile operations center. Driver and passenger seats swivel 180 degrees and an array of screens can be used to analyze information and coordinate a response.
The truck is packed with equipment compartments that can be reconfigured for any situation the LAFD might have to respond to. Everything that’s packed away is easier to access thanks to the adjustable suspension, and an array of high-power LED lights make sure everything is easy to find even if the surroundings aren’t well-lit when the crew arrives.
Equipment this advanced doesn’t come cheap. LAFD’s Rosenbauer will cost about $6 million. That’s significantly more than a traditional diesel truck, but they’ll be receiving a cutting-edge emergency vehicle that’s customized to their exact specifications and ready to tackle all kinds of different assignments.
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