Electric cars are far less likely to catch fire than combustion engined ones filled with flammable petrol. But when they go, they really, really go. A phenomenon called thermal runaway means a chain reaction within the battery’s cell chemistry starts a fire that’s extremely difficult to stop with conventional firefighting techniques. This problem is exacerbated in difficult to access areas like multi-storey car parks – a common recharging point for EV drivers.
To that end, this is a fire engine developed specifically for that task. It’s called the Hiload 6×6 Rapid Intervention Vehicle. It has been created by a York based company called Prospeed Motorsport and it’s a heavily modified Toyota Hilux pick-up truck.
The Hilux donor car is thoroughly transformed with a new chassis enabling a 6×6 wheelbase, capable of carrying a 3,000kg payload. It’s longer than a regular Hilux, but barely any higher, so it can still get into tight access spots like car parks. The Hiload’s 6×6 off-road capability means this is a go-anywhere machine.
