British police said that the introduction of electric vehicles into the security forces may be severely limited. According to experts, the specific tasks that electric cars have to perform quickly drain the battery, and prolonged charging reduces the operational readiness of crews.
The first problems arose in the service of the Gloucestershire Constable, whose fleet consists of 435 cars. Of these, 21 percent are electric cars. Local Police Commissioner Chris Nelson said there were issues with recharging official cars. When asked if he supports the use of electric vehicles in his department, Nelson said he is concerned that cars limit the operational effectiveness of police and can hinder officers.
But let’s give the floor to Nelson himself:
“The possibilities of electric vehicles for operational use may not be as developed as I would like. At this stage, we are cautious about further saturation of our fleets with electric cars.”
This is not the first police station to resist the introduction of electric vehicles into its structures. In 2021, the Michigan State Police Department included the Ford Mustang Mach-E in its annual assessment of police vehicles but eventually spoke negatively about the effectiveness of these vehicles. Although the testers praised Ford’s performance, operating costs, and trunk opening, they gave it low marks in all other categories.
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Despite the higher dynamic characteristics compared to cars with an internal combustion engine, electric vehicles cannot charge quickly, and their performance decreases as the battery heats up during operation. One funny case occurred in the USA, where a Tesla Model S police car was discharged during a high-speed chase.