Police will soon start operational testing of hybrid frontline cars as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint.
New Skoda Superb primary response police vehicles were unveiled in March last year.
Skoda cars are being used on the roads of east Auckland by Counties Manukau Police and a Skoda Kodiaq vehicle was being used by police in Beachlands.
The Czech-made cars were selected as the new police vehicle after Holden announced it was pulling out of New Zealand and Australia.
Police say they will soon test a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or PHEV, version of the Skoda Superb.
Fleet service group manager, Inspector Brian Yanko, says frontline officers will take the vehicle out on duty to test its capabilities in a range of operational settings and to provide feedback on its performance.
It follows a range of tests including radio frequency interference, brake and road trials and performance.
Yanko says the PHEV vehicle can run on petrol or its battery, or a combination of both.
It’s expected it will be suited to frontline duties in an environment allowing for downtime during which it can recharge, a process which takes around seven hours from a standard 240-volt wall power outlet, he says.
Yanko says the PHEV vehicle wouldn’t be suitable in a 24/7 metro environment, “where the engine never cools down”, but it looks likely to meet the needs of staff in other urban or rural settings or in community roles.
“With a long-distance range capacity of 930km, we think this will be more than enough.”
Buying the hybrid cars is part of the police’s commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet, which sits at about 3500 vehicles.
