Crime fighting electric car tempts the Boys in Blue
By Will Dron on February 13, 2012 1:05 PM
The UK Police force loves its Vauxhalls – the car brand is the nation’s biggest supplier of low and intermediate Police vehicles to the home nations – and it seems this is set to continue with the forthcoming extended-range electric Ampera.
Vauxhall’s high tech Ampera, which is powered by an electric motor but also incorporates a petrol engine for generating electrical charge, extending its driving range, got the nod after winning a competition to demonstrate an EV that uses cutting-edge crime-fighting technology that could be introduced into active Police service by 2015.
On top of the Police livery, the car features the very latest crime-fighting equipment, including no fewer than five video cameras – four mounted externally for evidence gathering and an extra internal camera for facial recognition linked to the Police National Database.
The standard Ampera console screen is also modified to provide all information currently available to Police officers, including automatic number plate recognition, and the software is loaded with data on previous incidents and uses complex algorithms to predict potential crime hotspots. A second screen mounted on the passenger sun visor also allows the passenger to access Police information.
However the car’s performance remains unchanged – the police version comes with the standard 148bhp and 370Nm of torque, which is good for 0-60mph in nine seconds and a restricted top speed of 100mph. Pure-electric driving range is 30-50 miles before the range extender fires up, allowing a total range of 310 miles or so before a leccy and/ or petrol refill is needed.
The UK Vauxhall Ampera, which is on the shortlist for both World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year, is now available to pre-order – albeit without the crime-fighting mods – through the brand’s website for £32,250 (including the £5,000 plug-in car grant), with deliveries expected to begin in the next couple of months (more info here).
Did you know?
It seems the Ampera and its sister car, the Chevrolet Volt are popular with the emergency services. In the United States, 50 Chevy Volts have been drafted in to serve with the New York Police, Fire and Sanitation departments.