Big fire, small engine
January 8th, 2020
As CES, the world’s largest electronics show, swung into action in Las Vegas on Tuesday, there was a heartening story to be found among the endless swathes of bigger, brighter TVs and smart home gadgets you never knew you needed. It came courtesy of Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, which makes rechargeable batteries for shavers, laptops, cameras and cars. Now it has partnered with Tropos Motors to build a tiny fire engine, powered entirely by battery, that’s designed for narrow urban streets. And it’s adorable. Perfect for cramped cities, this new “right-sized” vehicle can whizz into the tiniest of alleys. It comes complete with a Panasonic Toughbook tablet to receive emergency-information updates and is on sale now. A regular fire engine can cost $500,000 (€450,000) but this mini version is just $50,000 (€45,000). It looks cute – and could save lives too.
