Fully electric BMW i4 joins NZ Police fleet as part of $1.7m trial
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
Five BMW i4s will be issued around the country as part of the trial.
The New Zealand Police have whipped the covers off the first pure electric vehicle added to its frontline fleet; a BMW i4.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has confirmed that five fully electric BMW i4s are set to be rolled out at five different locations around the country as part of an operational electric vehicle trial. The trial will also include the installation of EV chargers at each of these locations.
The selection of the Bavarian EV has been more than 12 months in the making, with New Zealand Police fleet service group manager Brian Yanko giving thanks to BMW New Zealand, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), and his test evaluation team, amongst others.
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
The i4 can travel up to 590km to a charge on the WLTP cycle, but is unlikely to match this figure in real-world testing.
The operational trial comes at a cost of approximately $1.7 million, with funding sourced as part of the State Sector Decarbonisation Fund, with collaboration with EECA.
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The i4 fleet will initially be used in road policing applications, with testing to focus on how cars perform on different road conditions, in different temperatures, and whether they will be impacted by occupants lugging heavy police gear.
“The New Zealand Police is committed to being a sustainable organisation. It’s really important we play our part, because we have 20% of the government’s light vehicle fleet. For us to be successful in achieving our public sector targets, police very much needs to be part of that journey.”
BMW's Model 3 competitor has been revealed. Meet the i4.
Coster said that the trial will enable police to assess what is required to make a wider electric vehicle transition possible in future years.
Speaking alongside Coster and Yanko, EECA public sector engagement programme leader Paul Bull said that the programme has the potential to reduce the NZ Police’s annual carbon emissions by approximately 176 tonnes.
The scheme is very much in its infancy, with police keen to underline that the purpose of the trial is to evaluate the day-to-day use case of an EV, and not specifically to evaluate the BMW i4.
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
New Zealand Police fleet service group manager Brian Yanko.
“This vehicle, the BMW i4, was selected for the trial because of its suitability most closely matching the police’s operational requirements. [This trial] is not to trial the BMW per say, it is to trial electric vehicles and see how they work in our operational setting,” said Coster.
“It’s exciting at this stage, but there’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge.”
Each car is subject to a selection of local modifications for police duty, including radio equipment, a light bar, lights integrated into the grille, headlights and tail lights, and much more.
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
The BMW i4’s cabin is led by dual screens, supported in the police application by a barrage of radio tech.
The BMW i4 eDrive40 to be used by the police starts at $109,990. It uses a single electric motor on the rear axle to generate 250kW/430Nm, hitting 100kph in 5.7 seconds. Its 80.7kWh battery helps ensure a WLTP-rated range of 590km.
Asked why the police did not select the Skoda Enyaq iV for the trial, Yanko said that the model “wasn’t ready in time”, noting that Enyaqs for customers won’t be arriving in the country until December.
“It’s taken about 12 months of work to get this vehicle [the i4] to where it is, so that would’ve been another 12 months down the track. We really need to be looking at taking some action now and working with our external partners and EECA to be doing something as soon as possible,” said Yanko.
The Enyaq and i4 are unlikely to be the only vehicles considered for the role. Last December it was confirmed that the police were adding 34 fully electric Hyundai Ioniq 5s and Konas for ‘non-operational work’ at 15 centres around the country.
