RETTmobil is a big European trade show that showcases products and technologies for rescue teams, law enforcement, fire-fighting services, and emergency physicians. This year's event was staged in Fulda, Germany, where more than 500 exhibitors from twenty countries presented their wares—in displays that covered more than 70,000 square feet in twenty buildings. See? We told you it was big!
Our interest in RETTmobil is in one of the exhibitors, mainly for the interesting first-response vehicles it presents. That exhibitor is, of course, BMW. For RETTmobil 2016, our favorite Bavarian automaker brought some of its premium answers to the question of how to keep people safe and help those in trouble.
Anyone who has visited Germany has probably seen BMW cop cars. In fact, the first BMW law enforcement models were BMW 501 and 502 police patrol cars used in Munich in the 1950s. But what about fire service command vehicles, like the specially prepared X1 and X3 that BMW brought to RETTmobil? Another first responder that has to get to accident scenes quickly is an emergency physician, whose vehicle will have large “NOTARZT” decals. Such vehicles not only must be quick, but also maneuverable, when navigating tight city streets, for example. BMW believes the i3 electric vehicle can make an effective emergency physician car. Another excellent NOTARZT vehicle would be the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. It can carry lots of gear at high speed and still handle very well, which could come in handy for crises such as Autobahn pileups.
Might there be situations requiring an emergency physician in which a car is not the best or fastest way to get to the scene? BMW thinks so, which is why it also brought to RETTmobil an emergency physician R 1200 RT motorcycle.
BMW’s i3 brings point-of-use low-emission emergency services to the field. The Range Extended model features special paint, graphics, and light systems, as do all the BMW emergency vehicles. The car can be equipped with specialized communications and signaling equipment. Using the i3 for emergency services is not just a design exercise. BMW i3s are already in service in law enforcement and other emergency services in Los Angeles, Bavaria, London, and Milan.
The BMW X1 xDrive20d brings to RETTmobil an all-wheel drive and diesel-powered compact package that can serve as a fire services command vehicle or just about anything else. The X1 can be equipped with one of three gasoline or three diesel motors and can come in front-wheel-drive only if all-wheel drive isn’t needed.
Another emergency physican contender is the BMW 220d xDrive Gran Tourer. It has an upgraded electrical system that meets the needs of the additional communications, lighting, and medical equipment on board. This particular model is also diesel powered, but 220s can be had with gasoline engines as well.
Continuing with the diesel theme for the purposes of the 2016 RETTmobil, BMW presented an X3 xDrive20d all-around command vehicle. This might be the one to have, since it comes with the dynamic M Sport package and 20-inch M light alloy wheels. Once again, this vehicle can be powered by gasoline or diesel engines, and is available in all-wheel or front-wheel drive.
Then came the emergency doctor—on a motorcycle: BMW’s R 1200 RT. This bike is for emergency physicians whose presence at the scene could mean life or death, and to get to the scene might mean traveling through dense traffic, narrow city streets, or snarled and confused accident locations. This specialized two-wheeler gets special paint and graphics, lights, and communications systems. Its oversized cargo panniers have a total volume of 56 liters for medical equipment and supplies, and an extra battery to keep all the systems operating at the scene. If getting there fast means saving lives, the R 1200 T’s 125-horsepower water-cooled boxer can handle the job. The doctor needs to be a proficient rider, since the bike can do zero to 60 in under 3.8 seconds.
BMW has been making special purpose emergency vehicles for decades. Today they can be found in more than fifteen countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The most popular BMW emergency vehicles are based on the 3 Series, with slightly more Touring models in use than conventional Sedans. Next most common is the BMW 5 Series in both Touring and Sedan versions. After that, the BMW X5 is growing in popularity as an emergency vehicle. Finally, let’s not forget that even the BMW i8 is serving with more than one police force around the world.
But let’s be realistic. On this side of the Atlantic, we’re not going to run into too may BMW emergency vehicles. U.S. auto companies make some pretty decent vehicles—especially trucks and SUVs—at price points that American municipalities, states, and emergency services find more affordable than BMWs. But after looking at some of the photos of BMW emergency vehicles at RETTmobil 2106, we have to ask the question: Does anyone make a better looking or cooler emergency vehicle than BMW?—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
