Rosenbauer Concept Fire Truck finds its home in L.A. as America’s first electric fire truck

Last month, we covered how the Rosenbauer Concept Fire Truck, an electric fire engine with a diesel back-up generator, is getting close to finding homes around the globe. It was on the verge of being picked up by a fire department in the San Francisco area, but the purchase fell through at the last minute. But California will still get one of these CFTs, as the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) agreed to buy one. That will make it the very first fire department in the United States to have an electric fire truck.

The department announced the purchase earlier this week. The rig will have a few custom changes from the original concept, though most weren’t specifically identified by the department. This particular model will have the optional second battery packs, rather than the concept’s single pack. The total capacity is 100-kWh, which the department says will allow for up to two hours of operation before having to fire up the diesel generator (a BMW straight-six if it’s the same as the concept). This battery capacity seems significantly greater than that of the concept, which was apparently able to drive up to 30 miles or run the water pump for just half an hour.

No price was announced for the truck, but when Menlo Park Fire Department in the San Francisco area was looking at buying one, the price tag was about $1.1 million. The Los Angeles Fire Department said that its truck should be delivered early in 2021, and it will likely go into service at Fire Station 82 in Hollywood. The LAFD also noted that the CFT’s relatively small size, maneuverability from its four-wheel steering, and quick acceleration should be useful in a tight urban area like Hollywood.