London Fire Brigade to start using UK’s first electric-hybrid fire engine

An electrified fire engine is to be deployed in the UK for the first time. London Fire Brigade (LFB) announced it will trial an electric-hybrid appliance at Hammersmith Fire Station in west London later this year. It is hoped this will grow the market for zero-emission emergency vehicles. The electric-hybrid fire engine is expected to carry out most of its operations on electric power alone, but has a small petrol engine that can extend the life of its battery. Developing zero-emission appliances is challenging due to demanding performance requirements. The heavy vehicles must attend incidents as quickly as possible, carry a variety of equipment and be able to pump water for long periods.

LFB said the electrified vehicle, developed by manufacturer Emergency One, has “minimal differences” to its 143 current fire engines. It has a range of more than 200 miles and can pump water continuously for four hours.

'A more sustainable future'

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “Our first priority is always to ensure the brigade provides a first-class prevention, protection and emergency response service for London. “But for some time we have been looking towards a more sustainable future and working to identify the challenges and solutions to ensure that we as a fire service can move to a zero-emission fleet.” Mr Roe described the trial of the new engine as an “exciting step for us and the whole of the UK fire service”. He went on: “It is hoped that in leading the way on developing an electric-hybrid fire engine, the project will help drive and grow the market for zero-emission specialist vehicles in the UK’s emergency services, and particularly in the fire service.” Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Our emergency services are a key part of our clean air goals, and this high-performance green fire engine will help to ensure Londoners breathe cleaner air whilst working to tackle blazes across the city.”