√Toyota Hilux 6×6 fire engine responds to carpark fires in Europe

Large fire trucks can’t access multi-story or underground carparks, but this six-wheeled Toyota HiLux can.

Car fires are nothing new, but the increase in higher density developments – and the rollout of electric-vehicle charge points in multi-story and underground carparks – means traditional fire-fighting equipment can’t respond to hard-to-reach locations.

Bring on the Toyota HiLux 6×6 Hiload fire and rescue vehicle created in the UK by Prospeed Motorsport, an engineering and fabrication business that developed a six-wheel chassis extension for the current-generation Toyota Hilux.

Refered to as Hiload, the 6×6 chassis stretches the Toyota HiLux by 1230mm and ups the payload from 1000kg (SR5 4×4 double-cab) to 3000kg. The twin axles at the rear benefit from a new transfer case that can support both 6×4 (centre and rear) and 6×6 drive.

In base 6×6 trim the stretched Toyota HiLux weighs 2610kg and has a claimed Gross Combination Mass of 8100kg.

Bumper to bumper the Hiload is 7536mm long, a massive 2.2m (2211mm) longer than a regular Toyota HiLux.

In the fire and rescue configuration, the Hiload version of the Toyota HiLux is less than 1900mm tall so that it can fit into car parks, and is equipped with a hydraulic power take-off (PTO) from the engine so it can power water pumps for fire fighting.

It is fitted with an Atenta electric vehicle fire suppression system, which supplies an additive that can manage electrical fires more rapidly than water alone.

As well as the fire and rescue configuration, Prospeed designed a number of other uses for the 6×6 Hiload chassis, including industrial and military applications.

In addition to the above applications, a joint development with Dutch engineering firm Tembo can configure the stretched Toyota HiLux with electric propulsion used in the Tembo e-LV mining truck, which is based on the Toyota LandCruiser 70-Series.

In that configuration, the Hiload chassis is equipped with a 28kWh battery providing 60kW (95kW peak) power and 165Nm (250Nm peak) torque in both 6×4 and 6×6 drive.