Fire brigade fleets are usually associated with large fire trucks, off-road-capable vehicles and motorcycles, but Opel’s recent one-off is quite different. The automaker has introduced a special version of the Rocks-e heavy quadricycle that has joined their fire brigade fleet for the Russellsheim plant in Germany.
For its new role, EVT has got a suitable fire-red lever with yellow accents, extra flashing lights and graphics with emergency numbers. Inside, firefighters place their equipment under passenger seats and in the footwall, as the one-off is based on regular Rocks-e, not cargo variants. Interestingly, the conversion was carried out by firemen with the help of the Department of Advanced Engineering and OSV (Opel Special Vehicle).
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Presumably, the Opel Rocks-e is the smallest vehicle in the fire brigade’s fleet, measuring 2,410 mm (94.9 in) long and 1.39 m (54.7 in) wide, with a turning radius of 7.2 m (283 in). However, its role is not to put out fires or carry heavy equipment, but to be quick and easy to get to every corner of the Russellsheim facilities. The small footprint in the zero-emission powertrain combination allows the car to be driven inside the building when needed, saving time in daily work.
The Opel Rocks-e is a sister model of the Citroen Ami, coming with a small 8 hp (6 kW / 8 PS) electric motor and a 5.5 kWh battery. Maximum speeds are limited to 45 km / h (32 mph) so firefighters should not rush, while a 75 km (47 mph) limited range should be sufficient to cover 1.9 sq km (469.5 acres) of the Russellsheim plant. . If you think EVs are not suitable for the fire brigade, you should probably reconsider, as LAFD recently delivered its first electric fire truck to North America.
This is not the first time that a Stalantis heavy quadricycle has taken on a variety of responsibilities.
