World’s first electric aerial ladder fire truck under 16 tons debuts at INTERSCHUTZ 2026
Rosenbauer and MAN Truck & Bus have unveiled the world’s first fully electric aerial ladder fire truck weighing under 16 tons, combining zero-emission driving with quiet ladder operation.
Under 16 tons
178 kWh
33 minutes (5-80% at 250 kW)
What Happened
Rosenbauer and MAN Truck & Bus presented the world's first fully electric aerial ladder fire truck under 16 tons at INTERSCHUTZ 2026. The vehicle combines Rosenbauer's L32A-XS electric ladder with MAN's new eTGM chassis, meeting all relevant European fire service standards. The first unit was handed over to the Institute of the Fire Service of North Rhine-Westphalia (IdF NRW).
Under 16 tonstons
Rear axle load under 10 tons, enabling use on standard fire service staging areas in Germany.
- Battery: 178 kWh gross (160 kWh usable)
- Motor: 210 kW (285 hp) with 800 Nm torque
- Range: up to 10 urban missions or 4 rural missions per charge
- Charging: 33 minutes from 5% to 80% at 250 kW DC
“With the L32A-XS electric on the fully electric eTGM chassis from MAN, we are making possible what no other provider has achieved so far. We are producing the world's lightest aerial ladder vehicle on a battery-electric chassis.”
Why this matters
This electric fire truck is the lightest of its kind, meeting German weight limits and fire service standards, enabling emission-free and quiet operations in urban areas and even indoors, which reduces noise and pollution during emergencies.
Terms in This Story
- eTGM
- An electric truck chassis from MAN designed for medium-duty applications.
- Drehleiter
- German for aerial ladder; a fire truck with an extending ladder.
- mPTO
- Mechanical power take-off; a device that transfers engine power to auxiliary equipment like a ladder.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.