Hampton Roads helped make one of first electric fire engines in US
A new electric fire truck, developed by the fire service vehicle maker Rosenbauer, made a run through Hampton Roads recently. It stopped at Volvo Penta in Chesapeake, which had built the battery components. It was then on display during the Virginia Fire Rescue Conference at the Virginia Beach Conference Center last weekend.
The truck — called an RTX, for “Revolutionary Truck” — is almost silent, but that doesn’t mean its sirens won’t let cars know to watch out when it’s time to stop a fire.
The truck is one of the first to debut in the United States. A Los Angeles fire station began using one in 2022. Rosenbauer started with a concept vehicle in 2012 and later partnered with Volvo Penta.
The motor, lighting and equipment are powered by Volvo Penta batteries. Running on batteries makes the vehicle quieter, helps fight noise pollution and makes it easier for firefighters to communicate.
Electric-powered vehicles do not release carbon emissions, which helps the air quality in the vicinity of the truck. The truck is also made of metals and plastics that are more easily recyclable than traditional vehicle plastics. The truck has a battery life extension system run by a diesel motor. When the battery’s charge drops to 20% the system kicks in and charges the battery to provide about another six hours of battery life.
While parked, the truck sits about 7 inches off the ground. An air suspension system can raise the truck to a clearance of 10 inches for paved roads and to 14 inches for locations where the truck would need to go off-road; the system can raise it to a maximum clearance of 19 inches for flooded areas.
“You can never fully prepare for floods, but when they do happen, firefighters still need to get to areas to help people,” said Todd McBride, sales and marketing manager with Rosenbauer America.
Many of the operations on the vehicle, like the opening of its water tanks, can be monitored and controlled with tablets, one of which has a range of about 300 feet outside the truck.
The truck will make its way to Baltimore and
Canada for more demonstrations. Other trucks have already been delivered to major cities around the world, including Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“We have also been
getting a lot of interest in these trucks here in North America,” McBride said. “Sometimes the firemen are a little hesitant, but after they take it for a spin they always leave with a smile on their faces.”
No plans have been made for a local fire department to purchase one of the trucks.