In the United States, a fire engine comes in the form of an American LaFrance or a KME. In the United Kingdom, the most regular sight is the Mercedes-Benz Atego. Be that as it may, the London Fire Brigade thought that it would be swell to buy 52 units of the BMW i3 REx PHEV. That's right, 52 units of the darn thing.
What, in the name of all things holy, has possessed the firefighters of London to spend big on a fleet of i3 RExs? According to the London Fire Brigade, the 52 ultra-low emission cars were bought to attend emergencies and other business across the capital of Her Majesty's United Kingdom.
Apparently, this is just an appetizer for the London Fire Brigade. “Taking on the vehicles means we have achieved our ambition to become a 'Go Ultra Low Company' – with a commitment to operate low emission vehicles on at least 5% of its fleet by 2020,” reads a statement from the LFB.
Branded in accordance to the London Fire Brigade’s visual identity, the 52-strong fleet of BMW i3 REx models will be used for five years. It’s estimated that each car will travel an average of 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers) each and every year. Better still for the London Fire Brigade, the i3s replace a fleet of diesel-powered Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer family estates.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, declared: "With nearly 10,000 Londoners dying early every year in London due to exposure to air pollution, I'm delighted to see the London Fire Brigade take this fantastic first step towards becoming the greenest fire brigade in the UK. This will make a vital contribution in improving the quality of life for millions of Londoners," he concluded.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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