Electrified fire engine Rosenbauer RT
Water and electricity march!
Rosenbauer Revolutionary Technology (RT)
© press-inform – the press office
The Berlin fire brigade is testing an emergency vehicle with an electric drive. So far, the concept has been convincing with two electric motors and two 50-kilowatt-hour batteries. Daily use shows that the range extender is hardly needed.
With the abbreviation “eLHF” the cryptic designation frenzy of the German official mold gallops through most brains. This abbreviation stands for “Electric fire-fighting and rescue vehicle”, which has already been in trial use with the Berlin fire brigade for a year. The Brandweer Amsterdam and the Dubai Civil Defense also use the world’s first electrified fire engine. Two electric motors with a maximum system output of 360 kW / 490 hp drive the vehicle, which weighs tons, so that the helpers can get to the scene quickly. So that the fire brigade doesn’t run out of air uphill either, the technicians from the Austrian manufacturer Rosenbauer have installed a two-speed gearbox. The eLHF thus achieves an acceleration that is otherwise only known from the 735 kW / 1,000 hp fire engines of the airport fire brigade.
Two batteries, each with a capacity of 50 kilowatt hours, ensure an all-electric range of around 100 kilometers. Due to the maximum charging power of 150 kW, the charge level of the batteries increases from 50 to 80 percent after about 15 minutes, according to Rosenbauer. This means that the vehicle is quickly ready for use again. It all sounds wonderful, but electric mobility when it comes to life and limb? What to do when the department store of the west is on fire and the batteries are empty? These Prussians don’t fire that quickly either. Because the “eLHF” has a range extender that is powered by a 200 kW / 272 hp six-cylinder diesel engine. 130 liters fit into the tank, but it is rarely needed. According to the Berlin fire brigade, the eLHF used only eight liters of diesel fuel in operation at the Mitte fire station.
You have to be more careful that the fuel doesn’t age. Even at lower temperatures, the electric drive is apparently stable: between February 1, 2021 and May 24, 2021, 99.5 percent of the operations were purely electric. For longer operations, the support of the combustion engine can be helpful, as it can also operate fire-fighting water pumps if necessary. According to the Berlin fire brigade, electrical operation at the scene is possible for between 60 and 90 minutes, while diesel-electric operation is sufficient for around four hours.
The firefighters don’t have to make any compromises with the vehicle being tested in the German capital. A fire-fighting centrifugal pump and a compressed air foam system are on board. The extinguishing water tank holds 1,200 liters and there are 100 liters of foam agent. There is also an integrated light mast, a four-part extension ladder and a three-part extension ladder. The eLHF has seven seats. The conclusion of the professional testers is mostly positive. In a survey conducted by the Mitte fire station, employees responded to the question “What is your overall impression of the eLHF?” four out of five stars. “So far there have been no restrictions on the technical operational value compared to the conventional fire engines of the Berlin fire brigade,” summarizes the Berlin fire brigade. However, the tests are still ongoing and one or two improvements will still be incorporated into the production model.
Nevertheless, this is a very good interim report that the professionals issue to the emergency vehicle. The Rosenbauer specialists spent three years developing the RT (Revolutionary Technology / as the basic vehicle is called). Above all, the maneuverability in city traffic and the more agile driving characteristics characterize the vehicle. The RT has a low-floor chassis with a core tube frame in which the traction battery, weighing around 550 kg, is installed between the two axles. As with a car, this low center of gravity pays off when making quick changes of direction, and these are necessary when every second counts. The RT is only 2.35 meters wide and, with a wheelbase of 3.80 meters, only 7.30 meters long so that the fire brigade can also meander through the narrow streets of a metropolis. Alternatively, Rosenbauer also offers versions with wheelbases of 4.10 meters and 4.40 meters. An increase to the Berlin vehicle is also possible with the extinguishing agent tanks: Up to 4,000 liters are possible for water and up to 400 liters for the foam tank.