Pierce Volterra electric fire truck wins a Best of What’s New award

Nov. 30, 2022, Appleton, Wis.–Pierce Manufacturing Inc.’s Volterra zero-emissions pumper has won a 2022 Popular Science Best of What’s New award in the category of emergency services and defence.

The Pierce Volterra was the first zero-emission electric fire truck in service in North America. The technology consists of a proprietary Oshkosh Corporation patented parallel-electric drive train featuring an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission which allows zero-emissions operation when powered by the integrated onboard batteries.

The patented parallel-electric drive train can also be coupled to the internal combustion engine to provide continuous and uninterrupted power to the pumping system or drive system when needed for sustained long term pumping operations.

Each year, Popular Science editors review thousands of candidates, ranging from advanced engineering to hyper-intelligent software, in search of the latest innovations that help improve lives worldwide. The Best of What’s New list is made up of 100 technologies and products from the past year which stood out in a remarkable way in the categories of aerospace, auto, engineering, entertainment, gadgets, health, and more.