The Charlotte Fire Department has ordered an all-electric Vector fire truck, expected to be the first of its kind operating in North Carolina and the Southeast, from Spartan Emergency Response, a subsidiary of REV Group Inc., and a manufacturer of fire apparatus.
This all-electric fire truck will be housed in the city’s first all-electric fire house, set to open in 2024.
Equipped with 327 kWh of automotive-grade batteries, Charlotte’s Vector will deliver a long electric pumping duration, enabling its fire department to accomplish typical driving and pumping tasks exclusively on electrically generated power. The design also features low battery cell placement, offering a safer, lower center of gravity for enhanced stability while operating.
Charlotte’s station 30 will be a three-bay, two-story, all-electric firehouse on a three-acre site across the street from the Police and Fire Training Academy. The 14,000-square-foot facility will house Vector, charging apparatus and additional elements to make it a fully electric facility.
As an all-electric North American style fire truck, Vector will be similar in design to Charlotte’s current fleet of Smeal fire apparatus, offering firefighters the same truck style and working features.
“We are honored to continue serving the Charlotte Fire Department, a longtime Smeal pumper and aerial customer,” says Chris Wade, Spartan’s director of sales. “Working with Fire Chief Reginald Johnson, Fleet Manager Capt. Josh Westbrooks and their teams, we are excited to partner with them on this electric fire truck and this future vision for the Queen City.”
REV Fire Group introduced the Vector fire truck in August 2021. Atlantic Coast Fire Trucks, an authorized dealer for Spartan, Smeal and Ladder Tower, is handling the order and delivery is expected in 2024.