The Town of Cary said it debuted the first electric firetruck on the East Coast. The pumper truck from Pierce Manufacturing is supposed to reduce emissions up to 60% over its expected 20-year lifespan. It was purchased for $1.8 million as part of the town's sustainability goals and Strategic Energy Action Plan. It’s housed at Fire Station 9 on Walnut Street. Cary Fire Chief Mike Cooper said the truck went on its first call June 20.
“The batteries were at about 87% when they responded to the call. Upon arrival, it was a working fire,” he said. “They pulled three lines and flowed water for just over three hours, and it only reduced the batteries to about 42%.”
Cooper says after the call, the battery charged back to 90% in about 15 minutes.
Another feature of the firetruck is that it’s designed to operate in full-electric mode and transition to diesel backup as needed. It's also much quieter than a diesel truck. Cary's assistant town manager Danna Widmar said the reduced sound of the electric truck really helps the firefighters.
“The noise is so much lower on this vehicle,” she said. “So, if you're in a diesel truck, it's extremely loud, and they have to communicate with each other on the way to the incident as well as at the site. And so the significantly lower volume made it a lot easier to communicate effectively on site.”
Moving forward, Widmar said that they hope to purchase more electric firetrucks in the future. She said they have a replacement plan that will help them evaluate when to purchase another one.
