Fire Engines Photos

Yes there is, picture 44287 Volvo-Rosenbauer Electric L32A-XS test in Zurich FD. The rig didn't pass the test and the TTL was sent back

Added by Jacques Peter on 17 June 2024.

JP Do you know if this is really “100% electric”, as it says on the side panel? So far it seems all these much vaunted electric fire trucks everywhere in various countries actually have a backup diesel generator like the famous Rosenbauer RT, which means they are really hybrids rather than pure battery electrics! If this Renault does not, it might just be the first real battery electric fire truck in the World…..

Ed: there were of course battery electric fire engines about 1911. See Olyslager auto library Fire 'Fighting vehicles 1840-1950' page 17. Made by Merryweather apparently. And page 37 shows a Cedes pump escape of London FB.



Added by Rob Johnson on 22 June 2024.

It has 3 66kWh batteries. It mentioned 100%, unsure about a backup engine! Its a first of its kind in France

Added by Jacques Peter on 23 June 2024.

The basket was damaged two days ago in a collision with a delivery truck middle of Paris. Like in Berlin while on test the first RT collided with a car. All this has nothing to do with the electric, just normal accidents

Added by Jacques Peter on 23 June 2024.

Petros Yes, electric fire trucks turned up on both France and the UK as well as in Germany during a shower period between 1900 and 1914, after which petrol took over. London had several battery electric escape vans in 1913, although I don’t have any details - and in 1909 Berlin bought their first hybrid petrol eke truck hybrid pump!

Added by Rob Johnson on 23 June 2024.

In 1905 Basel FD (Switzerland) acquired an electric fire pump truck and an equipment/staff carrier truck of 1.8Ton. Later in 1909 an electric TL.

Added by Jacques Peter on 24 June 2024.

There is even a reference to a horse drawn electric centrifugal pumper in Prague - which was powered by wires attached to the overhead tram cars’ cables. Not sure what it could do on streets with no tram lines, though! The period from around 1890 to 1920 was indeed one of an amazing variety of experiments with fire fighting technology, not all of which proved to be successful in later years.

One quite popular fire truck chassis in Germany during the early 1900s was the Loehner-Porsche, which was a petrol electric hybrid and one of the first automotive engineering accomplishments of young Dr Ferry Porsche, who earned worldwide fame later as the designer of the VW Beetle and then as the creator of the Porsche sports and racing car brand.

Added by Rob Johnson on 24 June 2024.

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