The media takes any opportunity to further propaganda to promote electric vehicles.

When Albuquerque announced plans to acquire a new fire engine, New Mexico’s governor lauded the “zero emissions” technology while a fire department spokesman called it “all electric” and KRQE 13 gushed about the “fully electric” fire truck. 

San Diego’s NBC 7 reported on what it called that city’s first “all electric fire apparatus.” When the electric fire engine debuted in Portland, NBC’s KGW 8 quoted a fire department spokesman lauding the “monumental” “zero emissions” vehicle. 

When an electric fire truck came to Gilbert, Arizona, FOX 10 quoted the fire chief saying that “There’s no cancer coming out of the tail pipe and I say it that way because diesel particulates are a contributor for cancers.”

In reality, the so-called electric fire trucks are really hybrids which is not the same thing as an electric vehicle. During December of last year, ABC15 News broadcast a report about a new fire truck for Gilbert, Arizona’s Fire Department. The truck was pitched as an electric vehicle, but is actually a hybrid.

What also should be of note as indicated by the report are the higher maintenance needs the truck will need will be that will, likely, keep the vehicle out of rotation and how the truck will hold up during the summertime. Gilbert is in the southern area of Arizona that is part of the Sonoran Desert so it is doubtful using electric fire trucks in the desert will last long.