In a historic breakthrough for electromobility and the modernization of emergency services, the Santiago Fire Department presented the first electric fire truck in Chile and Latin America. This innovative vehicle, a Rosenbauer RTX manufactured in Austria and shipped from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, represents a new standard in sustainability and technology applied to emergency response.
The launch took place at an event attended by Ministers Juan Carlos Muñoz(Transport), Diego Pardow(Energy) and Maisa Rojas(Environment), as well as representatives of the companies SQM Litio and Copec, key partners in the implementation of this technology.
"We have a commitment as a country, made in the previous government, to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. This set us certain goals in terms of transportation that we as a government have made our own. By 2035, all new vehicles entering the country must be zero emission. This effort and this milestone that we are witnessing today point in that direction", said the Minister of Transport, Juan Carlos Muñoz.
The new Rosenbauer RTX is a 100% electric vehicle with 4×4 traction, a pumping capacity of 5,600 liters of water per minute and a hybrid system that allows it to operate for more than four hours. Its advanced design includes fast-charging batteries that recharge in just 45 minutes, ensuring continuous operation in critical situations.
Leadership in electromobility
The project was made possible thanks to a strategic collaboration between the Santiago Fire Department and leading energy and technology companies, such as SQM Litio and Copec.
"The arrival of the first electric pump car in South America is not only a breakthrough in electromobility, but also a concrete reflection of the leadership that Chile can exercise in sustainability and innovation. We firmly believe that initiatives such as this contribute to projecting a modern, resilient country image that is committed to sustainable development," said Juan Pablo Doñas, manager of Corporate Affairs at Copec.
Minister Muñoz also highlighted on the occasion that Santiago is today a leader in electromobility in public transport with more than 2,500 electric buses. "This city, without being the richest in the world, without being the most populated in the world, is the city, outside China, with the most electric buses. You are not going to find a city in Europe, in the United States, in Japan, in Australia, in India, with more electric buses than Santiago de Chile. And this is something that has been built with boldness from the State, but also with the participation and collaboration and the leading role of the private industry", said the head of the portfolio.
The electric fire truck belongs to the Fifth Company of the Santiago Fire Department and the project included training and instruction in the use of this state-of-the-art technology for the volunteers of the CBS.
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