LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Fire Department has signed an agreement to purchase an electric fire engine.
The apparatus will be based on a conceptual vehicle that Austria-based manufacturer Rosenbauer demonstrated in Los Angeles last fall, the department announced Monday.
The fire engine will be customized for the specific needs of the LAFD and is expected to be delivered in early 2021.
The Fire Department said the vehicle will have two batteries that will enable fully electric operation for about two hours and an on-board diesel generator for extended operations.
Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said the electric fire engine will help reduce noise and diesel pollution.
The chief said he drove the demonstration vehicle during its visit and praised its acceleration, braking and tight turning radius.
“I was doing doughnuts in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium,” he said.
It will likely be assigned to a fire station in Hollywood that will be equipped with rapid-charging technology.
