Have you ever seen a fire truck finished in a lime green color instead of red? The citizens of Menlo Park in San Francisco would have been one of the first to see such an odd fire truck on their streets, if not for the decision of the local fire board not to pursue a future purchase. This lime green-colored fire truck is called the Rosenbauer EV Concept Fire Truck and it's straight out of the future of firefighting.

Ready-To-Go Concept Study

The creator of this so-called Concept Fire Truck (CFT) is Austria's Rosenbauer, which is considered as one of the leading suppliers of firefighting equipment in the world. The CFT is Rosenbauer’s ready-for-operation concept study aimed at addressing future firefighting trends. The CFT is essentially a rescue vehicle loaded with a pump and tank, hydraulic recovery equipment, and a number of special gear.

Thanks to its innovative space distribution, the concept is able to deliver more storage space, which can be suited to the needs of individual fire departments. As for its lime green finish, the company said it was selected to boost its visibility and to emphasize the ecological importance of the CFT.

Interestingly, the CFT is an all-electric truck with electric motors driving both the front and rear axles. According to its maker, the CFT can accomplish a trip of around 30 km, with the range extendable through a generator driven by a diesel engine.

Priced At More Than $1 Million

Nevertheless, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District didn’t push through with the order not because the CFT was wrapped in a lime green finish. According to the district's letter of intent, it was planning to reserve one of 10 pre-production slots for 2021. But when the purchase intention reached the local fire board, it was decisively shot down, according to a report by local TV station ABC7.

The reason? The all-electric CFT costs around $1,112,900 after shipping and inspection, said the Business Insider. This was too much of a price for a fire truck. The board’s “No” votes outdid the “Yes” ones (3-2), effectively shooting the purchase decision down.

CFT-Based Series Production Fire Truck

Rosenbauer said the current CFT isn't designed for use by fire departments. It is, however, developing a new vehicle based on CFT for series production. I’m assuming that this was the fire truck that the Menlo Park Fire Protection District had intended to purchase.

The Austrian company is partnering with the Berlin Fire Department to test the upcoming CFT-based fire truck. Moreover, the Santa Cruz Fire Department has been inspecting the CFT, which means the truck may appear on the streets of California in the coming years.

Source: Business Insider, ABC7, Rosenbauer