Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) has deployed its first electric vehicles to respond to medical emergencies across the city. Speaking to local media outlet Atlanta First News, Fire Chief Rod Smith said the new electric trucks are expected to reduce response times to medical incidents.
Rivian’s vehicles have previously been used in emergency services in the U.S., with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District in California integrating two R1Ts into its fleet in late 2022.
The two new R1T trucks were bought amid the Foundation’s $3 million “Fleet Forward” campaign and will be staffed by paramedics rather. The move comes after a city audit in August found that around one-third of the city’s fire vehicles were beyond their operational lifecycle.
Earlier today, Rivian’s Chief Operations Officer Javier Varela announced the hiring of Krishna Bandaru, a Stellantis-veteran who now becomes the company’s Vice-President of Manufacturing Engineering.
Rivian and Volkswagen Group announced last week the official launch of their joint venture, revealing that the total deal size had increased from $5 billion to $5.8 billion, with operations having officially started on November 13.
Rivian’s electrical architecture and software technology stack will be used across several future models of the Volkswagen Group with the first ones expected to be launched in early 2027.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
