Whenever one talks about electric emergency service vehicles, the same objections always rear their ugly heads. They take too long to charge. They don’t have enough range. They’re overly complicated. They’re not reliable enough.
These are valid criticisms, but Unplugged is here to say there are also many benefits we’re not talking about, namely, the vehicles are always on and ready to go and don’t need to burn gas while idling. The company says that 60% of all gasoline used by police is burned while idling. Coppers keep their cars idling so the onboard electronics can stay on and to keep them ready for action.
This apparently leads to 1,633 gallons of fuel burned per year in a regular 2018 Ford Police Interceptor SUV, with the hybrid models burning 730 gallons a year. Electric vehicles don’t burn fuel while operating and can keep every device running, making it the perfect patrol vehicle in Unplugged’s eyes.