International supplier of vehicles for firefighting, civil protection and the police, ZIEGLER, is set to put its new aircraft firefighting vehicle Z6 Hybrid through its paces with a prototype field test of the vehicle at Frankfurt Airport FRAPORT from 2023.

ZIEGLER has more than 50 years of experience in the production of aircraft firefighting and rescue vehicles and has since now delivered more than 300 Z-Class of different types to national and international airports. Most recently, ZIEGLER introduced the new Z-Class in 2020 as part of the Innovation Rollout.

The new Z6 Hybrid can be driven in three different ways: Exclusively with electric motor, conventionally
with combustion engine (diesel) or with Hybrid Drive Technology. In the latter, the electric motor and
combustion engine work hand in hand in an intelligent network, meaning the Z6 Hybrid is usually powered purely electrically at airports. Depending on the driving profile, a corresponding range even allows over 80% of the journeys to be made electrically.

For situations where every second counts, the Z6 Hybrid’s electric motor and combustion engine accelerate the 39 ton vehicle, to its top speed with values are on a par with an 8×8 chassis with diesel drive.

If the battery is empty and has has to be charged, the full drive power of the diesel engine of a conventional Z6 is available. In contrast to the market, ZIEGLER does not follow the downsizing trend here and thus ensures full and long-lasting reliability for the operation and so if the power of the electric motor is unavailable, all normative requirements are still met.

ZIEGLER has solved the challenge of developing the world’s best alternative drive concept for aircraft firefighting and rescue vehicles. It combines aspects of sustainability, is faster than any comparable product and ensures the usual reliable operation. Thanks to its modularity, the hybrid concept can also be extended to other types of the Z-Class.

The Frankfurt Airport field test will among other things involve testing the operational suitability of the electric drive train and the recording of a wide range of measurement data to optimize the operating concept.