A new electric fire apparatus designed to fit in small spaces but do the same work as traditional vehicles was unveiled last week at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
A joint effort between Panasonic and Tropos Motors, a Silicon Valley-based startup that builds street legal vehicle, the right-sized electric fire apparatus is about the width of the standard golf cart path and a height that would allow it to fit into most parking garages, according to both companies. The smaller physical footprint allows the apparatus to respond to emergencies that normally be off limits to larger, full-size vehicles.
Along with its size, these hyper-efficient electric compact utility vehicles come outfitted with Panasonic tablets that let first responders send and receive emergency information. It also keeps track of the vehicle's battery health and comes with theft and tampering analytics.
