Kaohsiung's bus fleet is going electric fast, and the city is now training firefighters to handle the new fire risks that come with it — good for riders and air quality, but a new challenge for emergency crews.

• Electric buses now make up over 40% of Kaohsiung's buses, with 369 in service.
• Firefighters are running two days of drills at a bus depot on battery and charging-station fires.
• Electric buses carry high-voltage systems and lithium batteries, so they burn and are fought differently than diesel buses.
• Crews are learning to use insulated gear, under-chassis nozzles and fire blankets, and to spot where the batteries sit in each bus.
• The push comes from Taiwan's national plan to make all public buses electric by 2030.

Outlook: Expect more electric buses on Taiwan's roads and more of this kind of training as charging stations spread into city neighborhoods.