Scania Australia has revealed just ahead of Australia’s AFAC fire equipment show in Sydney this week, that the battery electric version of its CrewCab will be the first of its kind in the world, and Australia will be among the very first markets to receive this specification, when it goes into production shortly.
The Scania Cre Cab is a popular spec in the fire truck market and the company says it is a proud and longstanding partner of fire authorities around the country, and boasts significant fleets of Scania fire vehicles in service in every state.
The company said that the key to its long-term relationships with fire services has been the safety, strength and practicality of its CrewCab, which it says can accommodate a fire crew in comfort, even if wearing breathing apparatus.
Scania claims crews have long praised its CrewCab for ease of entry and egress, even when fully kitted-up, not least because of its fold-out steps at the rear cab doors, which it says make exiting the vehicle safer and faster.
“When every second counts, fire crews know they can rely on Scania’s CrewCab, which is why we are delighted to advise that a battery electric Scania CrewCab is currently in the works and will be headed to Australia in the very near future,” said Scania Trucks director of sales in Australia, Benjamin Nye.
The company says the specification of the BEV CrewCab will be similar to the 25 P BEV trucks that Scania Australia has already imported into the country for mining customers and will be in a 4×2 axle configuration.
It says the CP31 CrewCab will be based on the traditional P-series CrewCab and will be mated to a medium duty metropolitan pumper body.
“We are in the process of finalising the details of the first order for an Australian fire authority and we are very much looking forward to being able to bring this specification to Australia,” Nye said.
“Obviously the benefits for a battery-powered CrewCab fire appliance need no explanation,” Nye said.
“The operational environment for fire appliances lend themselves well to BEV technology, given they spend most of their time at a fire station and can therefore be on charge for long periods,” he said.
“In addition, most fire trucks travel only short distances to fight fires or assist at motor vehicle accidents. For auxiliary elements such as pumps, an electric motor would provide plenty of power,” he added.
“We very much look forward to offering fire authorities around Australia an early look at the first Scania BEV CrewCab to arrive,” Nye concluded
