The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is going electric, adding two new all-electric trucks to its fleet.
The addition makes the department the only Bay Area agency to incorporate four-wheel-drive electric vehicles into its fleet.
"We’re going to preserve life, property and the environment," Assistant Chief Chris Bachman said. "We feel this a good step to follow suit and continue to move forward with other county departments as they implement EV."
The two Rivian pickups will be used in support roles, such as carrying fire chiefs to fire scenes. They will be getting a few upgrades before hitting the streets.
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"We are going to outfit them with lights, sirens, radio capabilities and evaluate how that works on large incidents and what’s the battery drawdown," Bachman said.
Depending on how things go, this could be the beginning of a much bigger transformation for the fleet.
This past may, Los Angeles fire showcased its first hybrid fire truck. Bachman cited that as an example of the possibilities but said his department isn't quite there yet.
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"We know that some of the manufacturers are starting to come out with hybrid options, but before we experiment with that, we thought that the support role would be the best place for us to implement and try it out and see what works well and what doesn’t," he said.
County Supervisor John Gioia said the all-electric trucks are in lockstep with the county's goal of a zero emissions fleet. He also believes the move will help the department save money.
"Currently, the purchase price for an electric vehicle is a bit more than a diesel truck, but the fuel and maintenance costs can be half," he said.
Rivian released the following statement Thursday:
"We’re appreciative of the opportunity to supply the Contra Costa Fire Protection District with their first electric vehicles. Our team is looking forward to supporting their R1T upfits to make their trucks even better suited to their unique requirements."
