Police today unveiled its new electric vehicles being used in a trial over the next six months.
In total, police will have five BMW i4's on the road as part of the initial trial.
"The BMW i4 has been selected for the initial trial, successfully meeting most performance requirements for an operational vehicle while fulfilling carbon reduction targets and fitting within existing project funding," police said in a statement.
"This trial is part of a wider fleet electrification project, introducing 45 electric vehicles into the New Zealand police fleet and the associated charging infrastructure. The expectation is this will reduce carbon emissions by around 176.1 tonnes annually."
In terms of performance, the BMW i4 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
Five BMW i4 cars will be tested across the country for six months. (Source: 1News)
It also has a battery range of 590km per charge. However, this is dependent on how the vehicle is driven and its load. Police said this will be taken into account as part of the trial.
“Police vehicles are fundamental to our ability to serve the public and provide safer communities across New Zealand," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said today.
"We are proud to take these new steps seeking to reduce transport-related emissions while keeping New Zealanders safe.”
The vehicles take around two hours to charge at police stations and just 30 minutes if charged by a "hyper charger".
Police said it selected the BMW i4 as it has one of the highest kilometre ranges of any EV currently available in New Zealand.
The first vehicle will be trialled in the Waikato, and then Counties Manukau, Central Districts, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
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