MENLO PARK — In what could be a worldwide first, the Menlo Park Fire District has unveiled a new all-electric fire truck that it plans to buy.

The electric engine is a concept five years in the making and the torque and speed alone have Menlo Park firefighters itching to test it out.

Equipped with a redundant battery system and small booster motor, the truck has the potential to be the most versatile apparatus in the Peninsula fire department’s fleet. And with most fire engines traveling short distances before returning to their home base, the electric motors make perfect sense, said Fire Chief Harry Schapelhouman.

But as fancy as it looks, Schapelhouman said this concept is not ready for use by his department. He said frontline firefighters are working with Austrian manufacturer Rosenbauer to make sure the truck delivers for Menlo Park residents.

“We’re trying to build tools, not toys,” Schapelhouman said Thursday. “Working with the latest in tech is always great because it allows our firefighters to see what tools are available. I’ve gotten so many coming up to me already saying ‘when can we get this?'”

The sustainability factor alone had Schapelhouman eager to work with Rosenbauer. Most emergencies, he said, only last 30 minutes or less, so this engine would be able to shut down once it arrives at the incident and not continue to burn diesel, like most trucks do today.

With fewer moving parts, an electric truck would also reduce the amount of money that the fire district spends on maintenance and wear and tear. That maintenance, said Schapelhouman, can create costly down-time which can compromise the district’s emergency readiness.

“I don’t want that down-time,” Schapelhouman said. This truck, he added, is “snap your head fast.”

With a $5 million price tag for the prototype and about $1.2 million for a working model, the engine isn’t cheap. But Schapelhouman believes the added benefits of not having to maintain a diesel engine make it worthwhile.

Menlo Park firefighters, however, have already come up with about 100 recommendations they want Rosenbauer to take into account, Schapelhouman said.

John Slawson, Chairman and CEO of Rosenbauer America, said he welcomes that approach.

“They’re challenging us a lot with the features they want,” Slawson said. “They’ve really asked us to stretch our imagination.”

Slawson said the Concept Fire Truck — the engine’s official name — has already garnered support from European fire departments. The goal is to get North American firefighters the same equipment too.

“This is an unbelievable solution for fire departments,” Slawson said. “We’re proud of our sustainability mission. Diesel is dirty, loud and expensive. Diesel also makes things slower, and seconds count. But I would bet this is the fastest in the world.”