Electric aircraft fire truck hits 50 mph in 20 seconds
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- Rosenbauer deployed its PANTHER 6×6 electric ARFF truck at Dallas Love Field, paired with XCharge North America's 400 kW liquid-cooled C7AM fast charger at the airport's new Station 21, which opened today.
- The PANTHER accelerates from 0 to 50 mph in under 25 seconds on electric power, or under 20 seconds in Boost Mode — roughly 8 seconds faster than the diesel ARFF truck's 28-second run to the same speed.
- The electric truck shoots water or foam up to 250 feet, a 40% increase over the diesel model's 190-foot reach, and its electric water pump moves up to 2,370 gallons per minute.
- Noise drops by roughly 50% during emergency response compared to the diesel ARFF, and Rosenbauer says the battery system can handle more than 90% of daily operations and training entirely on electric power.
- Dallas Fire-Rescue is running a six-month test of the truck following its April unveiling, with feedback going back to Rosenbauer before the vehicle enters regular fleet service.
- Dallas Love Field is the busiest medium-hub airport in the US, handling nearly 18 million passengers and more than 250,000 aircraft operations annually — making it a high-profile proving ground for battery-powered emergency vehicles.
Why it matters: At an airport handling 18 million passengers and 250,000+ annual operations, shaving 8 seconds off emergency response and extending firefighting reach by 40% could be the difference between a contained incident and a disaster — and Rosenbauer's six-month real-world test will determine whether electric ARFF vehicles can scale beyond a single showcase truck.
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