Santiago de Chile receives the world's first electrical fire engine!

Santiago de Chile receives the world's first electrical fire engine!

Presented on April 23, 2025 Fireworld The first electric fire truck, which was specially developed for the volunteer fire brigade of Santiago de Chile, the "Cuerpo de Bomberos de Santiago" (CBS). The innovative vehicle, the Rosenbauer RTX, is also the first of its kind in Latin America. The presentation of the RTX took place at the invitation of the superintendent Gabriel Huerta Torres, in which high -ranking representatives of the Chilean government were also present, including the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz, Minister of Energy Diego Pardow and Minister of Environment Maisa Rojas.

With the purchase of the RTX, CBS is pursuing a strategic plan for integrating electromobility into the fire service in order to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and modernize the vehicle fleet. The Santiago fire brigade also supports Chilean energy policy in 2050, which aims at climate -neutral energy future.

Technical details of the RTX

The Rosenbauer RTX is powered by two electric engines with 130 kW each and thus enables emission -free operation. However, the vehicle can also be operated with e-fuel or diesel. A 4 × 4 drive and all-wheel drive ensure optimal traction and maneuverability, while the 2,000-liter water tank and the pumpy power of 5,600 liters of water per minute are equipped for different use scenarios.

A feature to be particularly emphasized is the capacity of the RTX, which offers space for up to nine people, which represents an increased capacity compared to conventional models. The vehicle was already delivered to the Santiago fire brigade with full equipment after the emergency services completed a four -week training course in the handling of the new vehicle in February 2025.

Financing and support

The financing of the project amounts to around $ 1.5 million provided by CBS and the partners SQM LITOO and COPEC VOLTEX. These companies are strongly committed to electromobility and support the project both financially and logistically. CBS already signed a contract for electromobility with SQM LIIO, COPEC, BMW and KIA in 2023, with three KIA electrical vehicles already integrated into the fleet.

The RTX has a battery capacity of 132 kWh, which can be charged in just 45 minutes. It also has a backup function that enables over four hours to operate.

Innovative approaches and challenges

With the introduction of the RTX, the CBS takes a step into the future, whereby safety aspects of electric vehicles also flow into the considerations. How Fire brigade-UB reports, the risk of inflammation of lithium-ion batteries is low, but traditional deletion methods in fires in this battery can often be ineffective. Firefighters must therefore be trained well in order to be able to react efficiently in an emergency.

The CBS has a long tradition in fire fighting, which goes back to the foundation on December 20, 1863. With 22 units and around 2,000 volunteer firefighters, she is one of the largest voluntary fire departments in Chile and looks after a area of ​​application with around two million inhabitants. The 5th fire brigade company "Arturo Prat", founded in 1873, is located in the historic district of Santiago and the largest unity within the CBS.

Overall, the introduction of the Rosenbauer RTX represents an important step towards sustainability and modern fire engineering and shows the commitment of the CBS for innovation.