Cambridge FD first to put electric fire truck in service

Constructed by famous upfitters Rosenbauer on an all-electric Worldwide eMV medium-duty chassis, HazMat1 incorporates a cell command submit with an onboard digital analysis library that’s totally outfitted to help the Cambridge Fireplace Hazardous Supplies Activity Drive at hazardous supplies incidents all through the area. It’s the primary such car in service in New England.

The trucks and engines used in fire departments are incredibly complicated and specialized vehicles. Along with carrying 1000’s of kilos of significant emergency response gear, they’re continually operating emergency calls in numerous markets in environments that, as usually as not, require upfits that may differ from one particular person hearth division to the following. Add to that the necessity for stone axe ranges of reliability and you start to see why many departments are hesitant to develop into early adopters.

That’s the place Navistar Zero Emissions Buyer Onboarding Supervisor Joe Jenkins got here in, to assist practice Cambridge Fireplace about EVs, describe how the advantages of electrification may assist help the FD’s mission.

Even with Cambridge Fireplace’s buy-in, nonetheless, the actual fact stays that constructing a brand-new electrical hearth truck is costly. Fortunately, the planets aligned on this 2023 chassis and Joe was capable of finally onboard the HazMat1 Worldwide eMV hazmat rescue truck you see right here. “It was a singular state of affairs as a result of this truck was beforehand a Rosenbauer tradeshow car,” he explains. “A number of eMV’s had been initially ordered by North Central Worldwide, and two ended up with Rosenbauer. The car got here to Cambridge Fireplace totally upfitted and able to be deployed.”

The International eMV incorporates a 33,000 lb. GVWR, a direct-drive electrical motor packing 1,737 lb-ft of peak torque, and 135 miles of vary from its 210 kWh li-ion battery pack. The eMV additionally incorporates a sturdy aux system powered by a pair of AGM 12V batteries that cost by way of the primary 609V excessive voltage system.

HazMat1 was positioned in full service simply this week, changing the division’s current, 25-year-old diesel hazmat rescue truck for a much-needed improve.

Electrek’s Take

One factor I’ve skilled in my interactions with municipal fleet managers over time that’s not talked about by Cambridge FD in its announcement is that fireplace vehicles are sometimes operating within the station. Sure, the doorways are open and air flow is sweet — however that form of publicity to dangerous diesel emissions isn’t good, and these people who find themselves risking their lives to assist save the lives of others don’t simply deserve higher, they deserve the most effective we may give them.

At the moment, which means electrical.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Cambridge FD; Navistar, through LinkedIn.