While Mustang is poised to take over duties with law enforcement agencies in the UK, the next time someone is followed by a cop in LA they may very well see officers driving BMWs now that the automaker has won its bid to supply the Los Angeles Police Department with 100 fully-electric BMW i3 vehicles for use in the department’s every day transportation fleet.
This announcement comes after a field trial during which a BMW i3 was evaluated alongside other EVs on the streets of Los Angeles as part of the LAPD’s livery, and found to be the ultimate choice due to a combination of EPA rated best-in-class efficiency, reliability and state-of-the-art ConnectedDrive services, which can be used to support fleet management applications. BMW’s extensive knowledge of charging infrastructure and the availability of a large network of BMW i centers for servicing the fleet in a convenient and cost effective way also played into the decision.
The i3 is the first purpose-built electric production vehicle to be made primarily of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP). With 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque hybrid-synchronous electric motor, powered by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery. Each charge is reportedly good for 80-100 miles of emission-free driving and has been rated the most fuel efficient EPA-certified vehicle by the U.S. Department of Energy.. The carbon fiber used to create the i3 is produced using hydro-electric power. “We should be thinking green in everything we do, and these new EVs show how local government can lead,” stated Mayor Garcetti. “Our sustainability plan pushes L.A. to speed adoption of greener practices and technologies, which also save money and resources.”
In line with this is the fact that The BMW production line in Leipzig, Germany draws its power from wind energy.
In the meantime, Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America stated, “The attributes of the BMW i3 position it to excel as the ideal vehicle for municipal organizations. The performance and technical capabilities, such as the BMW i3 ‘s acceleration, and its ConnectedDrive integration, are perfectly suited to transform the future mobility of the Los Angeles Police Department while also reducing their carbon footprint,” The BMW i3 police cars actually began hitting the streets of LA this spring badged with an LAPD insignia. As the department’s non-emergency fleet vehicles, the BMW i3s will be used throughout the department as transportation vehicles for officers and in community outreach initiatives. BMW’s software data system will integrate with the LAPD’s fleet management system which will allow the department to electronically receive critical vehicle data needed to effectively maintain their fleet. In addition, the German automaker is working on designing a web tool that will allow the department to track their fleet in near real-time, contributing to improved deployment, utilization, and the efficient charging of their fleet of BMW i3s.100 Level 2 chargers and four DC fast chargers to will be supplied to the LAPD by Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based distributed energy resource solutions.
