The world’s first electric fire engine was launched in Scotland earlier this month, manufactured by Cumnock-based Emergency One, the UK’s leading manufacturer of fire, rescue and emergency vehicles.

The company has been supported by Scottish Enterprise and is poised to target international markets with the new net-zero emergency vehicle.

The new ‘E1 EV0’ fire engine uses battery power for both its engine and water hose pump and is a direct result of significant development work by Emergency One.

Scottish Enterprise’s innovation teams worked closely with the company to support the project and awarded a £500,000 R&D grant last year as a contribution towards the company’s £1.7 million R&D investment in the new vehicle development.

Emergency One launched the new vehicle at a special online event on 9 October. Mike Madsen, Emergency One managing director said: “We are excited to unveil our E1 EV0 - the world’s first all-electric pumping appliance, and our innovative contribution towards a low-carbon economy. We look forward to seeing the reaction from our customer base and the wider public.”



Speaking following the launch, Michael Matheson, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, said: “Alongside our ambition to phase out new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, we have set out ambitious targets for the Scottish public sector to decarbonise their vehicle fleets.

“It is great to see Emergency One innovating to bring a cutting edge zero-emission fire appliance to market, manufactured right here in Scotland.

“I look forward to seeing further innovations in the zero-emission marketplace as we work towards our net-zero targets and air quality objectives.”

Linda Hanna, Scottish Enterprise managing director, said: “Emergency One is a fantastic example of a Scottish manufacturer with export ambitions. We want to inspire more businesses to explore innovation, sustainability and exporting because we know this will help both their business recovery and Scotland’s green economic recovery.

“Scottish Enterprise is proud to have worked with this company over many years and to have supported this project to create the world’s first net-zero fire engine, built in Cumnock, that will not only save lives in the role it will serve but also contribute to Scotland’s wider low carbon targets.”