1. Questions and Answers
Q: Can electric fire trucks handle long-duration fire incidents?
A: Yes.
2. Why is that?
It mainly depends on the type of electric vehicle and the design of its power transmission system architecture. Different types of electric fire trucks, with varying vehicle types and powertrain designs, can cope with long-duration fire incidents.
3. Two Common Types of Electric Drive Systems
In today’s firefighting equipment, there are 2 common types of electric drive systems: Parallel hybrid electric drive systems and range-extended series hybrid electric drive systems.
3.1 Range-Extended Series Hybrid Electric Drive System
Vehicles with a range-extended series hybrid drive system use batteries as their primary power source, with a generator or engine serving as a backup power supply. Once the battery’s state of charge falls below a specified threshold, the range extender begins recharging the battery, while the battery continues supplying power to all systems.
3.2 Parallel Hybrid Electric Drive System
A parallel hybrid electric drive firefighting system can operate either in fully electric mode or in internal combustion engine (ICE) mode.
Under normal conditions, the fire truck runs on electric power; during prolonged emergency operations, the internal combustion engine is activated as a backup power source. By directly connecting the engine to the drivetrain, this setup allows the fire truck to switch between full electric mode and full engine mode without relying solely on the battery.
3.3 Comparison of the Two
Parallel hybrid electric fire trucks offer a distinct advantage: their power supply mode can operate independently of the battery, providing stable energy for all vehicle functions.
By contrast, range-extended series hybrid electric fire trucks generally remain dependent on the battery throughout operation. The range extender system usually cannot supply power to the fire truck directly; once the battery malfunctions, the fire truck’s performance will be severely limited, making it difficult to complete missions effectively.
