A Cumnock firm has been commissioned by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to produce the country's first electric powered fire appliance.

Emergency One will be the beneficiaries of around £500,000 SFRS has received from Transport Scotland to roll the prototype into production.

The Caponacre Industrial Estate-based firm will use the money to manufacture their E1 EV0™ (Electric Vehicle, Zero Emissions) vehicles, with an aim for the prototype to be used by firefighters at an unconfirmed host station by next year.

The E1 EV0 has a range of approximately 220 miles with an 80 per cent charge, which is the equivalent of driving from Dunbar to Dundee and back again. It also has a range extender for pumping water at a prolonged incident as well as ensuring it can return to the fire station.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Stewart Nicholson said: "We are excited to commission our first electric powered appliance with support from Transport Scotland.

“This innovative project is the first step in a long journey to discover how we can potentially move away from fossil fuel powered appliances.

"The Service has set out its environmental goals and we are committed to reducing carbon emissions from our fleet.

"There are already more than 100 electric cars within our light fleet, however this is our first venture into low carbon heavy duty vehicles."

SFRS has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by six percent each year until 2030. This project is part of their long-term goal to be carbon neutral by 2045. They estimate that an electric appliance will reduce emissions by 66 per cent compared with a diesel appliance.

Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth said: “This is a really exciting, innovative development and I’m pleased to be funding it through our partnership with Scottish Enterprise which is supporting the decarbonisation of Heavy Duty Vehicles across Scotland.

“The public sector should be seen to lead the way on this type of work, which demonstrates that tough operational requirements for service vehicles, often working in challenging conditions, can indeed be met without the sole reliance of fossil fuels.

“I look forward to seeing the electric fire appliance deployed in communities as a beacon not only for the journey that the fire service is on – but for Scotland’s wider transition to a net zero society.”

Michael Madsen, Managing Director of Emergency One, said: “We are proud that the Emergency One E1 EV0™ (Electric Vehicle, Zero Emissions) is the world’s first all-electric pumping appliance fully certified to BS EN1846 standard.

“The EV0 exceeds the standard’s requirements for driving range and pumping performance at zero emissions, whilst the optional onboard smart charger provides resilience at protracted incidents.

“The EV0 as specified for SFRS carries the same inventory as a traditional pumping appliance, is one of the first of its kind in the UK, and the first to feature an innovative all-electric rear drive axle installation. 

“Some of our staff who also work locally as retained firefighters have been able to work on this project and it’s great to get their practical operational insights throughout the design process.”