The Hype Cycle Is Over. The Data Cycle Has Begun.
For years, electric fire trucks existed mostly in press releases and trade show demos. That changed in 2025. Multiple departments across the country took delivery of electric and hybrid-electric apparatus, put them in service, and started generating the one thing this conversation has been missing: real-world operational data.
According to industry analysis, the global fire truck market reached an estimated $8.7 billion in 2025, and analysts project it will nearly double to $16.9 billion by 2035. Electric and hybrid-electric apparatus are driving a significant portion of that growth. But the question that matters to every fire chief writing a capital budget isn't "Is this the future?" It's "Does it work right now, on my streets, with my staffing, for my call volume?"
Here's what we know from the departments that are actually running these rigs.
Cary, North Carolina: First on the East Coast
In June 2025, Cary Fire Department became the first department on the East Coast to place a Pierce Volterra pumper in frontline service. The Volterra is a dual-power platform — it runs on battery-electric power with a diesel backup engine. The design philosophy is simple: run electric when you can, run diesel when you must, and never compromise response capability.
Here's what made Cary's deployment notable: during the initial months of service, the department reported that the rig operated on zero diesel backup during emergency calls. The battery system provided sufficient power for response, pump operation, and scene lighting without the diesel engine kicking in.
That's a significant data point. One of the persistent concerns about electric apparatus has been range anxiety — the fear that the battery will deplete mid-incident, leaving a rig unable to pump or respond. Cary's experience suggests that for a suburban department running a typical call mix, the Volterra's battery capacity is more than adequate for daily operations.
What the Volterra Offers
The Pierce Volterra is built on Pierce's established platform, which means departments aren't adopting an entirely new vehicle architecture. The cab, pump panel layout, hose bed, and compartmentation are familiar. The difference is under the hood — and in the noise level.
Multiple departments have reported that the electric drivetrain is dramatically quieter during response. That's not just a comfort feature. Reduced noise in the cab improves radio communication during response. Reduced noise at the scene improves command communication. And reduced noise in the station eliminates one of the chronic health exposures associated with diesel apparatus — exhaust particulates during cold starts and station departures.
The E-ONE Vector: Pure Electric, No Compromise
While Pierce went the hybrid route, E-ONE took a different approach with the Vector — a fully electric pumper with no diesel backup. The specs are impressive:
- Battery capacity: 327 kWh
- Voltage architecture: 800V
- Peak horsepower: 536 HP
The 800V architecture is worth noting. Most electric passenger vehicles run on 400V systems. The higher voltage enables faster energy transfer, more efficient motor operation, and critically, the ability to power high-demand fire pump operations without the voltage sag that plagued early electric apparatus concepts.
The 327 kWh battery pack is massive — roughly equivalent to four Tesla Model 3 batteries. E-ONE engineered this capacity specifically to address the operational demands of structural firefighting, where a pumper may need to flow water for extended periods while simultaneously powering scene lighting, hydraulic tools, and onboard systems.
Who's Running Electric Apparatus in 2025?
The adoption map has expanded significantly. Beyond Cary, departments that have deployed or ordered electric or hybrid-electric fire apparatus include:
- Madison, Wisconsin — One of the early adopters of the Pierce Volterra platform
- Gilbert, Arizona — Testing electric apparatus in extreme heat conditions, which provides valuable data on battery performance in desert climates
- Portland, Oregon — Deploying electric apparatus as part of a broader municipal electrification initiative
- Frederick County, Maryland — A combination department testing the technology in a mixed urban-rural response area
- Lawrence-Douglas County, Kansas — Bringing electric apparatus to a mid-sized Midwestern community
- Boulder, Colorado — Evaluating performance at altitude, where both battery systems and diesel engines face unique challenges
The geographic diversity of these deployments is as important as the deployments themselves. Electric apparatus are being tested in desert heat, mountain altitude, Midwestern winters, and Pacific Northwest rain. The data emerging from these varied environments will answer questions that no amount of factory testing could resolve.
The Real Questions Departments Are Asking
What About Charging Infrastructure?
This is the single most common concern I hear from fire chiefs evaluating electric apparatus. The answer is evolving, but here's the current state:
Most departments are installing Level 2 or DC fast charging stations at their fire stations. The cost of installation varies significantly based on the station's existing electrical infrastructure. Some stations, particularly older facilities, require electrical panel upgrades or transformer installations that can add $50,000 to $150,000 to the project cost.
The Pierce Volterra's hybrid design sidesteps some of this concern — if the battery depletes during a particularly busy shift, the diesel backup keeps the rig in service while it charges. The E-ONE Vector's pure electric design requires more deliberate charging management, but the 327 kWh battery provides enough capacity for a full operational shift in most call volume environments.
What About Maintenance?
Electric drivetrains have dramatically fewer moving parts than diesel engines. No oil changes. No diesel particulate filter regeneration. No turbocharger rebuilds. No transmission fluid. The brake wear is reduced significantly because electric motors provide regenerative braking.
Early adopters are reporting reduced maintenance costs, though the data is still too limited to project lifetime savings with confidence. What's clear is that the maintenance profile is different — fewer routine services, but when something does go wrong with the high-voltage system, the repair requires specialized training and equipment that most fire department mechanics don't yet have.
This is a training gap that the industry needs to address. Departments considering electric apparatus should budget for technician training on high-voltage systems, and manufacturers need to build out their service networks to support these platforms in the field.
What's the Total Cost of Ownership?
Electric fire trucks carry a premium sticker price — typically 20% to 40% more than a comparable diesel apparatus. For a pumper that might cost $800,000 in diesel configuration, that premium translates to $960,000 to $1.12 million.
The total cost of ownership calculation, however, includes fuel savings, maintenance savings, and the increasingly relevant cost of diesel exhaust mitigation systems in fire stations. Station exhaust extraction systems, which are now considered essential for cancer prevention, run $30,000 to $100,000 per bay. An electric rig that never idles in the station eliminates that exposure entirely.
Over a 15- to 20-year apparatus lifecycle, the math may well favor electric — but we're still in the early innings of generating the lifecycle data to prove it.
What This Means for Your Department
If you're a chief or apparatus committee member evaluating electric fire trucks, here's the practical framework:
- Assess your call volume and run distances. Electric apparatus perform best in environments with moderate call volumes and response distances within the battery's effective range. High-volume departments running 15+ calls per shift may need the hybrid safety net.
- Evaluate your station infrastructure. Get an electrical assessment of your stations before you spec a rig. The charging infrastructure cost can be significant, and it's better to know that number upfront than to discover it after you've placed the order.
- Talk to the departments running them. Cary, Madison, Gilbert, Portland — these departments are generating real operational data and most are happy to share their experiences. First-hand feedback is worth more than any manufacturer spec sheet.
- Plan for training. Your mechanics, your engineers, your officers — everyone who interacts with the apparatus needs to understand the high-voltage systems, the charging protocols, and the emergency disconnect procedures.
- Think about the health argument. Diesel exhaust exposure is a known carcinogen. Every minute a diesel rig idles in the station is a minute of exposure for your crews. The cancer reduction benefits of electric apparatus may ultimately be the strongest argument for adoption.
The Trajectory Is Clear
Electric fire apparatus in 2025 are where electric passenger vehicles were around 2015 — early adoption, high prices, limited infrastructure, lots of skepticism, and rapidly improving performance. The departments running these rigs today are generating the data that will inform purchasing decisions for the next decade.
The fire service has never been early to adopt new technology. We ran steam-powered pumpers for decades after gasoline engines were available. We resisted cab-forward designs. We were slow to adopt electronic stability control. That conservatism has sometimes served us well — we don't adopt unproven technology when lives are on the line.
But the data from 2025 is increasingly clear: electric apparatus can do the job. Not perfectly, not in every scenario, not without challenges. But the technology works, and it's improving fast.
For the latest on fire service technology, career paths, and industry trends, explore our full career guides and blog. The apparatus may be changing, but the mission hasn't.