The Pitfalls of Green: When Lives Depend on Electric Fire Trucks

“The ax will always start.”

We’ve heard this mantra countless times from firefighters across the nation. When lives are on the line, a reliable tool is always better than a fancy one.

This mantra has been frustratingly relevant during HME’s exploration of electric fire trucks. Our standards are high, and we will not ship trucks that firefighters can’t count on. We’re dedicated to playing our part in a more sustainable future but are unwilling to sacrifice safety in the meantime.

As a species, we need to change. Over the past century or so, the human way of life has been built on a disregard—or at least unawareness—of its effects on the earth. We’re depleting fossil fuels and carbon emissions are too great. The patterns of our day-to-day lives threaten the existence of our planet.

Common sense dictates we need to become more sustainable. The complexity comes in tactics and execution. We’re reminded of a line from Knight Titus in the new Fallout TV series:

“Everyone wants to save the world, they just… they disagree on how.”

The Pitfalls of Electric Fire Trucks

In their current state, electric fire trucks pose several significant issues. We applaud every effort by our industry peers to develop electric fire engines and reduce carbon emissions. However, in many cases an electric truck won’t cut it from a pragmatic standpoint (yet).

1. Firetruck runtime

Veteran firefighters know there are days when call volume is simply a killer—in some urban areas, departments exceed 20 calls a day. During some shifts, the truck is never shut off. Firefighters roll the truck into the station, wolf down food as fast as possible before receiving the next call, and head back out. In some cases, fire engines must stay running for multiple days. When firefighters are on the scene, the truck just runs.

“When firefighters are on the scene, the truck just runs.”

Furthermore, the truck needs to keep pumping water. With the most troublesome fires, the truck may flow water for days. It can be tough enough to get a fuel truck to the scene to top off the diesel, let alone get time for an electric recharge.

The current state of electric batteries simply can’t support this extreme strain. Charging takes far too long, and the trucks are out of commission in the process.

There are many positive developments in the works to solve this problem. Electric vehicle manufacturers are working, for instance, on removable electric batteries that can be switched in and out like cartridges. This won’t solve every problem electric poses, but it will move the needle closer.

2. Electric trucks are prohibitively expensive for the taxpayer

Today, the demand for electric trucks is not high enough to offset the much higher component costs and the infrastructure needed for charging. Electric vehicle development requires constant innovation, which means enormous R&D budgets. Many electric vehicles, including fire trucks, are currently sold at a loss.

An electrically-powered fire truck is excessively expensive compared to one powered by a combustion engine. For smaller municipalities with limited budgets, this financial barrier is insurmountable. Many small municipalities operate under tight fiscal constraints and simply cannot afford an electric truck without significant financial aid or subsidies. Moreover, the potential need for specialized maintenance and trained personnel can add additional ongoing costs, making the switch to electric fire trucks a challenging financial decision.

Some electric fire trucks may be sold out of a need to cater to identity politics rather than the value brought by the actual truck. An electric fire truck makes a great press release and a great talking point. However, at the current time, there may be more efficient ways to put the taxpayer dollar towards sustainable change.

While electric trucks may not be pragmatic for the average firehouse at the current time, we applaud the efforts of research and development of electric fire trucks and carbon-neutral vehicles and know the cost should decline over time. Anyone investing in sustainable energy has our deepest gratitude.

3. Not enough available infrastructure for recharging

The time it takes to charge an electric fire truck can be problematic. However, there is a larger problem in the availability of charging stations.

When the City of Toronto first wanted to place an electric truck, they faced a difficult challenge. After purchasing the truck, they realized they couldn’t place it where they planned due to power supply constraints. Their alternative would have been to put a diesel generator outside of the fire house—which, of course, would defeat the sustainability objectives in the first place.

They have since worked out this issue and added two electric pumper trucks to their fleet. However, Toronto is a large city with the budget to pivot and adapt. With a population of almost three million people—ten or twenty times the population of many US cities—there is massive infrastructure in place. For the average municipality, this is not the case.

The interactive Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and U.S. Interstates map shows every EV charging station in the United States. While at first glance this looks well-populated, zooming in on the map reveals the massive amounts of land between each EV station. This means large, expensive infrastructure changes need to be made before an electric fire truck can cover a large service area.

Compare this to xMap’s map of every gas station in the US. This is representative of complete saturation—almost the entire US, except for the most rural areas, is completely covered. And for areas that aren’t—extra fuel can be carried in on a fuel truck.

As you can see from the map, the distribution of charging stations is often uneven, primarily concentrated in urban areas. For fire departments operating across larger, less densely populated regions, this can pose significant operational challenges. The risk of a fire truck running low on power during an emergency is high. This highlights the need for strategic planning and investment in a more robust charging network.

The Increasing Demand for Electricity We’re Challenged to Fulfill

Rule-based artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for many years and operates on preset rules and conditions. It draws on finite datasets and automates the processing of repetitive tasks, reducing human error. Generative AI (gen AI) is radically different, dwarfing rule-based AI both in terms of the computing power needed (GPUs, not CPUs) and the scope/depth of datasets required to run it.

Every interaction with online Gen AI relies on a scaffolding of information stored on servers, house in data centers worldwide. Those data centers require huge amounts of electricity to run and to cool them. The 1.5 million servers NVIDIA forecasts to ship each year by 2027 will consume 85.4 terawatt-hours of electricity each year—more than what many small countries use in a year. Combine the increased demand for electricity created by Gen AI with the power required for cryptocurrency mining/transactions, and we have a looming issue.

U.S. electrical systems are not expanding fast enough to meet rapidly growing power needs of technology like Generative AI, prompting data center operators to bypass utilities and strike deals directly with power generators or build their own supply.

Assuming we can promptly address these aggregate supply needs, adjacent issues surround our power infrastructure. These issues eventually led to the great August 2003 blackout (impacting 50 million people in the US and Canada) and the rapid growth of cyberattacks on US power grids.

The Future is Hydrogen, But Probably Also Electric

Thanks to Tesla and other newsworthy EV manufacturers, the public eye has been focused on electric. However, there is another sustainable energy source that holds tremendous potential: hydrogen.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the entire universe. When you look at the periodic table, you will see Hydrogen listed as one of the very first nonmetals.

Hydrogen is early not only in its order, but in its properties. Hydrogen is one of the most explosive elements. The National Fire Protection Association assigns it the highest rating of four on the flammability scale—even when mixed in small quantities with ordinary air, it can turn a mere spark into a fiery spectacle.

With hydrogen fuel, safety is a high priority. The Hindenburg disaster is an example of a large-scale hydrogen explosion. As a result, hydrogen must be treated with caution. However, modern methods have made hydrogen safe and powerful to harness.

Most pioneers of green technology agree that the future will be electric, yes, but even the electric will likely be powered by hydrogen. As the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen’s potential as a renewable energy carrier knows no bounds.

“Most pioneers of green technology agree that the future will be electric, yes, but even the electric will likely be powered by hydrogen.”

Hydrogen has incredible versatility and abundance, and it can produce energy through electrochemical reactions, such as in fuel cells, with zero emissions. This means it is a scalable, versatile energy storage solution. These capabilities pave the way for a future of renewable energy, where hydrogen plays a central role in decarbonizing economies and mitigating climate change. The potential is boundless.

Through processes like electrolysis, hydrogen can be extracted from water using renewable sources like solar or wind power. However, electrolysis requires substantial amounts of renewable electricity, which can strain resources and complicate energy storage and transportation logistics.

In contrast, a process called methane pyrolysis converts natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon. The hydrogen can be used for fuel while the solid carbon is used as a valuable material in products like asphalt.

A company called Modern Hydrogen, which recently ceremonially filled in a pothole with Bill Gates using asphalt created from would-be emissions, is pioneering a unique methane pyrolysis process.

Modern Hydrogen has created on-site methane pyrolysis technology, which can take natural gas, LNG, or biogas and turn them into usable hydrogen and solid carbon anywhere where there is existing gas infrastructure. The technology is powered by a portion of the hydrogen it generates. So, in this process, CO2 is never created and no harmful emissions are released into the atmosphere. Rather, the carbon is reused.

Methods like these could be a pivotal component in solving the many challenges we know exist to create a viable hydrogen infrastructure (i.e., the ability to store and transport hydrogen). Hydrogen can be incorporated into the existing energy ecosystem, minimizing the need for new installations and avoiding the complexities associated with scaling up renewable power generation and storage, to completely revolutionize the future. Natural gas can be converted into hydrogen fuel, and in the future, hydrogen fuel cells will power electric vehicles.

“Current emissions can be converted into hydrogen fuel, and in the future, hydrogen fuel cells will power electric vehicles.”

Hydrogen is not without its own pitfalls. The explosive potential that makes it such an excellent energy source also requires careful handling and leak detection, and hydrogen energy is under strict regulations. However, it’s important to note that hydrogen is no more inherently dangerous than other commonly used flammable gasses such as natural gas or propane. The key to safely utilizing hydrogen lies in understanding its properties and implementing appropriate safety protocols.

Like electric energy, hydrogen requires many infrastructure updates. Since hydrogen is lighter than air, it tends to rise making traditional ventilation systems less effective. Hydrogen-powered fire trucks may require special ventilation systems with low-level intakes and hoods to capture any escaped hydrogen. Notably, hydrogen disperses quickly into the atmosphere when leaked, which reduces the risk of accumulation and subsequent explosion, especially in well-ventilated areas. So, while hydrogen does require careful handling and specific infrastructure, with the right safety measures and technologies, it can be as safe as other gasses used in similar applications. The ongoing advancements in hydrogen safety protocols continue to mitigate the associated risks.

Furthermore, fire departments will need to collaborate with local governments, energy companies, and other stakeholders to expand the hydrogen refueling network.

However, the potential of hydrogen is such that futurists and researchers believe hydrogen power will be the future. Even for electric vehicles, they will probably ultimately be powered by hydrogen.

HME’s Investment in Cummins Engines

This is why HME is playing the long game in terms of alternative energy. While investing in the development of electric fire trucks may offer political brownie points, we are investing in the solution that will meet the performance and economic needs of the fire service and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Cummins, a world leader in engine innovations, is leading the charge in developing hydrogen internal combustion engines. In a press release from last year, Cummins announced a new 15-liter hydrogen internal combustion engine.

As Cummins’ website states, “Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy, which is grounded in the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products.”

The Transition – It’s a Journey, Not an Event

The liquid fueled (compression charged) internal combustion engine we know today has been with us since 1879. The wholesale transition to a new energy source (hydrogen/hydrogen powered fuel cells) will be an iterative journey – over time. The needs are broad. Driving engine innovation (as Cummins is doing) to harness hydrogen energy is one thing, but solving the hydrogen infrastructure issues are yet another.

Fortunately, bridge plans do exist. There are diesel variant technologies that will enable us to both comply with increasing EPA/CARB regulations that take effect in 2027 and deliver fire apparatus that meet the performance needs of the fire service today.

Between now and 2027 when the diesel variant engines must be in production, you can count on HME as the source for current generation engines – we’ve stocked up.

The Long-term Future of Renewable Energy

HME is committed to staying on the forefront of innovation, while still protecting the lives at stake in the meantime. The minute HME is confident in the extreme reliability of a sustainable new technology, we’ll adopt it.

We’re excited for the future—it’s bright, green, and electric. And, perhaps more importantly—it’s hydrogen/hydrogen powered fuel cells.