FACT BRIEF

Is an Austrian company seeking to sell US fire departments plug-in hybrid fire trucks?

Sunday, June 6, 2021

By Stevie Rosignol-Cortez

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YES

An Austrian manufacturer has found at least one U.S. customer for its new plug-in hybrid fire truck, after conducting demonstrations of a concept vehicle across the country over the past two years.

Rosenbauer announced one sale, to the city of Los Angeles, last year. An April 2021 press report says the city will take delivery by the end of the year, later than the city's initial announcement indicated.

The company, a leading supplier of conventionally-powered firefighting vehicles, says the new model features a number of other useful innovations in addition to its energy usage and quieter operations when running on battery power. It is priced up to $1.2 million, according to various news reports, making it somewhat more expensive than the average comparable non-aerial fire truck, according to estimates by HowMuchIsIt, a price-comparison website.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Los Angeles Fire Department LAFD purchasing first electric fire engine in North America

Rosenbauer RT: Revolutionary Technology—Hybrid municipal vehicles

Rosenbauer Concept fire truck

FireRescue1 Rosenbauer America takes RT electric apparatus to nation's capital

HowMuchIsIt How Much Does a Fire Truck Cost?

Clean Fleet Report Are electric fire trucks in the near future?

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