With the steel pickup Cybertruck and the semi electric semi-trailer, emergency services will certainly know what to do, but for the time being Tesla only has relatively small and civil vehicles on offer for the fire department or police. But thanks to lower running costs, lush computer technology and, last but not least, impressive acceleration, they are already well received by some authorities, especially since the more affordable Model 3 has been around. So far, only Tesla operations in the police service have been known, but now a fire brigade in the USA is probably the first ever to put a Tesla Model 3 into operation.

Use Tesla instead of combustion SUV

The Kennebunk Fire Department, the fire brigade of Kennebunk, a small town with a good 10,000 inhabitants on the east coast of the USA, pointed this out on Facebook. “Well done, Chief,” she commented on a photo of her manager Jeff Rowe next to the white Tesla Model 3 in the fire department look.

An article on this in the local publication Press Herald states that the electric car was bought by the Kennebunk fire department this spring – and despite its slightly higher purchase price, it knocked a heavy and large Chevrolet Tahoe SUV out of the running . Chief Rowe had a hard time getting the conventional control car in the correct configuration, then took a closer look at the Tesla Model 3 and finally asked his board for approval.

The range of the new service Tesla is given in the report as 322 miles, which corresponds to the current Model 3 with a large battery and normal all-wheel drive in the USA. And it should not only be the first Tesla in fire service in the US state of Maine, reports Press Herald, but possibly even worldwide: In 2018, Teslas was reported by two private fire departments in Ukraine, but there is no current information .

Fire Department praises Tesla acceleration

According to the report, the fire brigade Tesla in Kennebunk is mainly used by Chief Rowe himself – not for extinguishing, of course, but as an operations control vehicle. Sometimes other firefighters are also allowed to take the wheel of the Model 3, which is used except for relaxed trips to business meetings. The boss is currently installing a pull-out office in the trunk for a full overview during operations. The Tesla offers less space than the large SUV Tahoe. But Row has so far been very satisfied with the decision and demonstrated at the press meeting as one of the Tesla advantages, the seamless acceleration.