The United Kingdom has the one of the fastest EV adoption rates in the world. Depending on who you are that may be a good thing or bad thing. Either way the fact is with more EVs on the road there is an increased risk for EV fires. Statistically speaking, electric cars are much less likely to ignite than an internal-combustion vehicle, but when fires do happen they are generally more difficult for fire fighters to extinguish, at times requiring a lot of water poured over the wreckage for a long time to ensure the flames are out.
So, are today’s fire trucks up to snuff? Maybe, maybe not, but one UK engineering company designed a totally rad Toyota Hilux-based rig specifically for fighting EV fires, and, well, we almost could care less about its purpose. Just look at it!
UK-based Hiload starts with a custom Toyota Hilux—a distant relative of the midsize Tacoma sold here—whose chassis has been extended to accommodate a 6×6 drivetrain. That’s right, this thing has six freakin’ wheels. The extra wheels and reinforced chassis allow the truck to carry a payload over 6,600 pounds, helpful for hauling the onboard ColdCut “Cobra” fire system. The load space is also increased by 48.4 inches. It’s difficult to look at this awesome fire truck modular design and not get hyped about the possibilities for the new Toyota Tacoma, were anyone to think to add an extra axle to that truck.
The Cobra Ultra High Pressure Lance or “UHPL” system uses an abrasive element suspended in water which allows it to function as a sandblaster and extinguisher at the same time. The abrasive allows the UHPL to cut a hole in a vehicle’s floor pan and inject water at 4,351 psi throughout an EV’s battery module casing. All that water running through the battery module helps prevent thermal runaway, thus decreasing the chances of an EV fire getting out of out of control. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency ran an independent test which showed that the Cobra system can prevent battery cell propagation within 10 minutes and with only 63 gallons of water—that’s just 20 percent of the Cobra’s tank capacity.
Despite the Hiload 6×6 fire truck being longer, the ride height is not increased so it has a much lower profile than other larger fire fighting vehicles typically used for EV fires. That means it can reach places those taller vehicles can’t, which can make the difference when lives are at stake.
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