By Laura French
LAS VEGAS — A new electric fire truck standing at just under six-and-a-half feet tall was unveiled by Panasonic and compact utility startup Tropos Motors last week.
The Connected Right-Sized Emergency Firetruck, or Tropos FRV, concept was introduced at the CES 2020 technology showcase, and features a design meant to enable the truck to fit into tight spaces, including under most parking structures.
“These trucks have a footprint that fit on the width of a typical cart path,” a Panasonic press release stated.
The “right-sized” fire trucks are each equipped with a Panasonic Toughbook tablet and OneConnect analytics to provide battery and maintenance updates, as well as tampering and theft information.
“The Tropos FRV reduces environmental impact and operational cost – one-tenth the cost of a full-sized firetruck – while boasting similar capabilities of a full-sized firetruck,” a Panasonic spokesperson said.
According to the Tropos Motors website, the truck has a turning radius of 12.5 feet and carries a 125-gallon that conforms to National Fire Protection Association standards.