Police choose BMW and Ford as new basic police vehicles!
Let’s start with a little side note: under the condition that the test models of the cars are also approved by the police, the Ford Kuga Full Hybrid and BMW X1 will become the new basic police vehicles.
Deliberately two parties
“The police are deliberately contracting two brands in order to be more flexible in case of possible delivery problems,” said Michel de Roos, chairman of the steering committee in charge of purchasing the new cars. “The tender for new basic police vehicles is an intensive process. We have to take many components into account, because a police vehicle has different requirements than a ‘normal’ car. The most important thing is that our colleagues can do their work well and safely.”
User tests
To reach a final verdict for the award, all vehicles were examined in detail and tested by dozens of police employees from different units, the police academy and operational guidance and training. This happened both on the circuit in Lelystad and on public roads. This not only assessed technical specifications, such as cornering breakout, braking, driving over thresholds and acceleration, but also overall ride comfort. Key test criteria here were the ease for agents to get in and out and the amount of interior space.
The winners
Of all these components, the score of the car as well as the experiences of the testers were carefully recorded. Jaimy, agent and tester from the Hague unit: “We eventually have to drive the cars. That’s why these tests are very important. It’s nice that we can be part of that.” User testing, with a fifty percent share of the overall score, is a weighty factor in decision making. In addition, price (30 percent) and qualitative criteria (20 percent) played a role. The Ford Kuga and BMW X1 ended up as winners. They scored well on handling, steering and braking, as well as overall comfort and handling on public roads, among other things.
Sample models
The suppliers who are tentatively awarded the contract are building some test models. These pilot models – once approved – will be deployed for a user period in different base teams in 2024. Only if this phase with the trial models is successful will the agreements be signed. Partners Abiom and Veth Automotive provide the erection and installation of communications armor, signaling and beacons.
Which Ford Kuga will the police drive?
The Dutch police have chosen the Ford Kuga Hybrid. “We do not officially carry this variant in the Netherlands, because in the Netherlands we only know the Kuga Plug-in Hybrid,” said Sebastiaan van de Pol, spokesman for Ford Netherlands. The plugless Ford Kuga Hybrid does arrive in Germany. The car has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 140 kW (190 hp), mated to a CVT automatic transmission. “Ford Netherlands supplies a total of 500 cars to the police, there is an equal distribution between Ford and BMW,” adds Sebastiaan van de Pol.
Period 2025 to 2029
If all goes according to plan, the new agreement with Ford and BMW will provide for the supply and maintenance of basic police vehicles from January 2025 through December 2029 (with an extension to December 2032). First delivery is expected in mid-2025. In total, the police expect to take away about 1,100 fossil-powered cars.
What about EVs?
Developments in the electric vehicle market are rapid, and the police want to reduce CO2 emissions. Therefore, about 30 percent of the current fossil-powered BPV passenger cars (about 500 of them) will be replaced by electric vehicles from the end of 2025. If all goes according to plan, the procurement process for the basic electric police vehicles will start after the summer.
