The 6x6 HILOAD Fire Truck Is Designed to Extinguish EV and Car Park Fires

EVs are less likely to catch fire than conventional cars. But when they do, they're much more difficult to extinguish. The energy within the cells is released, causing the chain reaction known as a thermal runaway, which rapidly worsens if not dealt with.

What's more, if the fire starts in an enclosed space, such as an underground or multi-story car park, it's far more severe. The fire can quickly spread to other cars, and large fire trucks can't be used due to their size.

For instance, large fires recently occurred at Kings Dock car park in Liverpool and Stavanger Airport in Norway, and sizeable fire and rescue vehicles weren't able to access the structures at the early stages of the incidents. Crews eventually entered on foot and extinguished the fires. However, thousands of cars ended up being destroyed, and the airport and car park were severely damaged.

These cases have inspired industry specialists to develop a new generation of firefighting vehicles engineered to extinguish conventional and EV fires in car parks or other enclosed spaces in their earliest stages.

Prospeed Motorsport uses a Toyota Hilux as a base vehicle and equips it with a brand-new 6x6 chassis and a torque splitter system. The modified machine has a 5,600-kg (12,346 lbs.) gross weight, with a maximum payload of 3,000 kg (6,614 lbs.). It's quite an upgrade from the standard 4x4 Hilux, as it can carry three times more weight. Moreover, the resulting low center of gravity enables the HILOAD to have better stability in high-speed situations.

The load space is increased by 1,230 mm (18 inches) to make room for all the necessary equipment. What's more, with a total height of just 1,850 mm (almost 73 inches), the HILOAD can fit in most parking structures. In fact, some SUVs are even taller than this modified Hilux, such as the G-Wagon. T

What kind of equipment do you need to tackle EV battery fires? One solution Is the Coldcut Cobra system – the Cobra Ultra High-Pressure Lance (UHPL) system uses an abrasive suspended in water can pierce through floor pans and inject water through the battery's module casing at 300 bar. For comparison, that's 100 times the pressure of the air in a car tire. The water cools the battery's inside and can stop thermal runaway dead in its tracks.

Conventional methods of dealing with an EV fire involve pumping thousands of liters of water into the vehicle until the battery cools. The problem with this method is that batteries are tightly enclosed, and it takes a long time for them to cool down. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency demonstrated that using the Coldcut Cobra prevents cell system propagation within 10 minutes, with only 240 liters (63 gallons) of water utilized – that's 20% of the HILOAD's tank capacity.

"But why use a 6x6 chassis?" you might wonder. Indeed, it won't make much of a difference in urban car park environments. Still, the enhanced traction and lower ground pressure can enable the vehicle to deal with fires in remote and rough environments, such as forests. It allows the HILOAD to reach fires faster while carrying more crew, water, and gear in off-road environments.

Even though it's significantly modified, its maker says the HILOAD provides a normal driving position, with comfort levels like those of a standard car. Other notable features include a double cabin, an automatic gearbox, and hydraulic power take-off from the engine bay. Furthermore, Prospeed boldly claims, "There is nothing in the marketplace that has the capability of this vehicle."

The HILOAD is currently being trialed in the Czech Republic, where it's used to tackle EV battery fires, as well as assist with fast response occupant extraction.

Prospeed is also working on offering a 4x4 HILOAD with a 5,000-kg (11,023 lbs.) gross weight and a 6x6 variant with a 6,500 kg (14,330) gross weight in the defense market. They will be part of a light utility vehicle fleet, aiming to replace older Land Rover Defender and Pinzgauer fleets. It can have a wide range of uses, such as an ambulance, mobile command post, and more.

Other applications for the 6x6 vehicle include commercial use, such as a mobile elevating work platform for powerline work or a drilling platform for soil engineering. Prospeed even sees it used by Special Forces as a tactical intervention vehicle.

The company assembles the HILOAD in York, UK, but it can also ship the 6x6 conversion as a module, with final assembly in an export market. Furthermore, it's possible to license the design for higher volume production.