The world's most interesting electric police cars

Police forces across the world are turning to electric vehicles in a bid to become more eco-friendly.

In the UK, for example, some forces are using EVs like the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6 to fight crime. 

With this in mind, we've gone in search of the most interesting electric police cars from around the world that are patrolling the roads, silently catching criminals unawares. 

We're only going to focus on electric cars that we're pretty sure have seen the line of duty, while also highlighting some interesting concepts which could become police vehicles in the future.  

AC Schnitzer BMW i4 

Yes, it’s a concept car, but we couldn’t leave this carbon-fibre clad police machine out could we. This particular i4 police car has been tweaked by storied German tuning firm, AC Schnitzer and features a new front splitter, rear wing and alloy wheels. 

Based on the i4 M50, the police car is believed to offer more oomph than the standard car’s 419kW and 586lb ft of torque. It rides 20-25mm lower than the standard car for an even sportier set-up. 
 

Audi RS e-tron GT 

Dubai is a haven for supercars, which means its police force needs a machine that will keep pace with Ferraris and Lamborghinis. To deal with potential high-speed chases, Dubai police added an Audi RS e-tron GT to its fleet. 

With a range of 283 miles and a rapid 0-62mph time of 3.3sec, the RS-badged e-tron GT is more than capable of a hot pursuit should it be called into action. 

BMW i3

The BMW i3 has been used by police forces around the world to carry out light police work in city centres and towns. In 2016 the Los Angeles Police Department added 100 electric i3s to its fleet at a whopping cost of $2.9 million. 

While the LAPD’s commitment to electrifying its patrol vehicles was admirable, officers found the 100-mile range of the i3’s a challenge and aren’t used as much as the department's piston-powered machines. 

BMW i4

Another i4? The popular electric saloon was deemed suitable to join New Zealand’s Police Force earlier this year, with the German EV packing enough performance and range to carry-out various duties. 

Five i4 patrol cars have joined the force’s fleet of vehicles for a trial programme, and if successful the New Zealand Police will look to adopt the machines for certain use cases. 

BMW iX

Not only has BMW’s electric SUV been used as a police car in Switzerland, it has also been on trial in Scotland. The 380-mile EV was put into service during COP26 climate summit in Glasgow and used on a trial basis to assess the BMW’s potential use as a response vehicle. 

The Scottish government is aiming to add more electric vehicles to its police force having already spent £20 million investing in zero emission police vehicles. 

Chevrolet Blazer EV

The American brand’s first all-electric version of the Blazer will be transformed into a patrol vehicle and is set to enter service next year.

Developing 410kW and 638lb ft torque, the Blazer EV has got more than enough punch for a hot pursuit. And a range of 320 miles should mean it will have enough mileage for daily duties. In terms of kit, the Blazer EV gets a skid plate, police rated tyres, steel wheels and additional emergency equipment as standard.

Chevrolet Bolt EV 

It's not just big electric SUVs and powerful salons that are becoming popular electric police cars, smaller machines like the Chevy Bolt EV are proving their worth as part of a number of police departments in the US. 

In the state of Maryland, Hyattsville City Police Department added a Bolt EV to its fleet of vehicles as part of a grant which also saw the force roll-out a Zero electric motorbike.

Citroën Ami

Can a tiny electric quadricycle become a crime fighting machine? Well a police force in Greece certainly thinks so after deploying two new Citroën Ami police vehicles on the island of Chalki. 

Despite its 46-mile range and 28mph top speed, the Ami is the ideal police machine for Chalki as its longest drivable distance is just six miles. The ever-so-cute Ami gets a full police livery and even a small blue emergency light.

Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV

Here’s what you get when you cross an EV pick-up truck and a police car. The Pro SSV is a special version of the new F-150 Lightning pick-up and has been adapted for use as a police response vehicle. 

The F-150 Lightning Pro SSV features either a 332kW powertrain that offers 775lb ft of torque, or an extended-range variant that develops 432kW and 775lb ft of torque. The F-150 was cleverly redesigned to suit police work, for example, the side bolsters were reduced to make it easier for officers with gun holsters to get in and out. 

Ford Mustang Mach-E 

Police forces around the UK have been trialling a one-off For Mustang Mach-E to see if the Blue Oval brand’s electric SUV is suitable for use as a police vehicle. The Mustang EV gets a full police livery and blue emergency lights which are LEDs to ensure only a small amount of energy is needed to run them. 

If successful, Ford is planning to offer police variants of its Mach-E SUV, with the likely go-to model being the firm’s GT Model. It develops 358kW and can travel from 0-62mph in just 3.7sec. 

Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Korean brand’s family electric car was added to the Western Australia Police Force Fleet last year to see if the Ioniq 5 could be a permanent patrol car. The Hyundai EV was used as part of the Forces’ State Traffic division as well as general duties at the Mid;and, Rockingham, Geraldton and Banbury police stations. 

The all-wheel-drive 225kW machine has a range of up to 270 miles and has been kitted out with all the necessary gear for and the Western Australia Police Force livery. 

Hyundai Kona Electric

With greater pressure on police forces to switch to a more eco-friendly fleet of vehicles, many countries including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the Uk have been adopting the popular Hyundai Kona Electric. 

The Kona EV has proved a popular choice thanks to its competitive price and long 300-mile range between charges. And another useful feature highlighted by the Dutch police is the Kona’s silent powertrain, which has helped to catch a few criminals off-guard. 

Kia EV6

While it might not be the hot GT version with 430kW of power, the standard EV6 has plenty of performance and a big enough range to operate as a crime fighting machine. British Transport Police added two new Kia EV6 electric cars to its fleet last year, being the first of 80 new EVs being deployed by the force. 

Developing 239kW and with a range of 328 miles, the Kia EV6 BTP police EV is fitted with multiple LEDs front and rear, a 100W siren, ANPR cameras and a panoply of secure mobile communications. 

Mitsubishi MiEV

One of the first electric police cars to hit the road in the UK was the Mitsubishi MiEV. The innocent-looking machine wasn’t the ideal crime fighting EV, with just 100 miles of range and a top speed of 81mph. Criminals attempting to evade arrest would likely have broken into a light jog to get away. 

Still, the MiEV was used on a trial-basis in the West Midlands in the late 2000s, and undertook light duty work around neighbourhoods. 
 

Nissan Leaf

66 Nissan Leaf EVs were delivered to Gloucestershire Constabulary in 2020, which helped to reduce the force’s CO2 output by 190 tonnes. Gloucestershire Police also found its vehicle maintenance costs dropped by an estimated £136,000 after adopting the fleet of electric cars. 

And with a 180-mile range on tap, the Leaf EVs have been able to cover daily rounds with ease, with officers averaging around 70 miles a day. 

Peugeot e-208

The French brand delivered 611 new emergency vehicles to 38 forces in 2020, with 81 of those being the all-electric e-208.

The electric hatchback was added to a number of police forces across the UK, with the e-208 put into operational use supporting the frontline of police activities. 

Polaris Ranger EV

The G7 summit is one of the most high-profile gatherings of the leaders of the world’s biggest economies - policing it is therefore a tough challenge which can sometimes require a special vehicle. Step forward the Polaris Ranger EV.

Seven Polaris Rangers were used to police the G7 summit even in Cornwall, UK in 2021, with the rugged off-roader said to be particularly useful for patrolling the region’s sandy beaches and hard-to-access rough terrain. 

Polestar 2

Having added a Kia EV6 and Tesla Model 3 to its fleet of vehicles, British Transport Police added some Scandinavian style to its fleet of vehicles with a new Polestar 2 patrol car. 

With a real-world range of between 300-320 miles, the Polestar 2 is a sensible choice for police work due to its solid range and performance stats that easily match any petrol police machine. 

Renault Twizy

A Twizy police car? Sure, it might not have the range – or speed – to take part in high-speed pursuits, but the Twizy has been a handy companion to forces across the world.

Police forces in a number of countries, including Spain, Mexico and Turkey have called upon the tiny two-seater for community policing work. The Twizy has a 56-mile range and has a top speed of 50mph. 

Reanult Zoe

Italian police rolled out a crime fighting version of the French Supermini a few years ago as a silent, emission-free patrol vehicle. It features a full Italian police livery and blue emergency lights.

The conversion from standard Zoe to police machine was carried out by the Focaccia Group; although it sounds like a bread-making enterprise, the firm is an emergency vehicle conversion specialist. 

Skoda Enyaq

Is the Skoda Enyaq the go-to police vehicle? Well it certainly makes a strong case for itself thanks to the Skoda’s brilliant versatility being both large and efficient. 

With a 333-mile range and the fast charging capabilities (5-80% in 38min) the Enyaq is more than suitable for daily duties out on the road. Even its 0-62mph time of 8.5sec is enough for regular police work. Better still, its vast boot means there is plenty of room to store an officer’s equipment. 

Smart EV

You might be surprised to learn that some EVs were adopted by the police far earlier than you might expect. Back in 2008 the Metropolitan police added the ever-so-cute Smart Electric Drive to its fleet for a month as part of a trial for electric city police cars. 

Four police-spec versions of the electric two-seater were used for routine police work in the capital and at Heathrow airport. With a top speed of 60mph and a range of 70 miles, the Smart was ideal for daily duties, having previously been used – albeit with an engine – in 2002. 

Tesla Model 3

With its 374 mile range and fierce 3.1sec 0-60mph time, the Tesla Model 3 saloon has received heaps of praise as a police vehicle. Its low running costs have also helped it gain positive reviews while on trial at various police forces up and down the UK. 

The trials revealed that the Tesla cop car was good for more than 200 miles of pursuit driving, while further data suggested that the typical period of a pursuit was just eight minutes. 

Tesla Model Y

Tesla’s coupe-style SUV might be the ideal electric family car, but it’s proving a popular choice for police departments in the US and police forces in Europe. Merseyside Police in Liverpool, UK also had a Model Y on test to see if the electric SUV could become a permanent member of its patrol fleet. 

Its 331-mile range and rapid 0-60mph time of 3.5sec would be put to the test over a trial period, with Merseyside Police using the Model Y for a range of tasks.  

Tesla Model S

Luxembourg Police Force welcomed two Tesla Model S saloons in 2018. The use of the American brand’s flagship saloon made sense for Luxembourg’s police force as the country only measures 62 miles from north to south. 

With a 405-mile range and a top speed of 155mph, the Tesla Model S was ideal for the forces’ 124-mile daily outings on patrol.

Toyota Mirai

The sleek Japanese saloon might well be the most intelligent car in our list - that’s because of its zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain. The Mirai’s hydrogen tank can be filled in less than five minutes and promises a range of between 300 and 400 miles depending on the age of the car. 

The Metropolitan Police Force own 11 Toyota Mirais – both marked and unmarked – and are used to patrol London’s roads while also helping to reduce emissions around the capital. 

Volvo XC40 Police Electric Vehicle Concept

The Swedish brand has always been a keen supplier of emergency vehicles, with the V70 estate being a true legend of the UK police force. To give us a taste of an electric police vehicle, Volvo created the XC40 Police Electric Vehicle Concept. 

Complete with full patrol vehicle livery, the dual-motor XC40 Police Concept has fast-charging capabilities (10-80% in 37 minutes) and a power output of 400kW – that’s more than enough boost for a hot pursuit.

Volkswagen ID 3

The German firm’s family hatchback was added to Lower Saxony Police in Hanover, with the force ordering a whopping 215 ID 3s. The VW ID 3s took on a variety of roles with some used as undercover vehicles, while others were used as patrol cars with blue lights. 

With a real-world range of over 200 miles and plenty of performance to boot, the ID 3 hasn’t been exclusively used by German police, with forces in Belgium also using the electric hatchback as a patrol vehicle. 

Volkswagen ID 4

It’s not just Volkswagen’s electric hatchback that has been put into action as a patrol vehicle. The ID 4 SUV was converted into a police vehicle and rolled out in the Greek Island of Astypalea in 2021 to support its transition to electrified vehicles. 

It’s not just the local police force that got their hands on a new ID 4 EV; the port police and airport authority were given a new VW as well.

Volkswagen e-Golf

Police in Albania took the bold decision to add a fleet of Volkswagen e-Golf’s to its fleet of vehicles in 2016, despite the country not having a public charging network. Officers had to return to the station if they wanted to charge the e-Golf patrol car. 

The e-Golf police cars, finished in Albanian livery, have a range of up to 118 miles and a top speed of 93mph.