Hyundai kona electric becomes first EV to enter service with New South Wales Police
Kona electric to join Australian police duties
The NSW Police Force has been loaned the vehicle from Hyundai Australia for a period of twelve months.
Hyundai’s Kona Electric has become the first all-electric vehicle enter service with the NSW Police Force. The vehicle is on loan from Hyundai Australia for a period of twelve months.
Kitted out in a striking blue and red livery pack, the Kona Electric won’t be used as a patrol vehicle, rather it will join the Crime Prevention Unit and will be used for community engagement.
According to the automaker, “The addition of a Kona EV to its fleet for 12 months will provide the Nepean Police Area Command with the opportunity to experience the practicality, convenience, driveability and safety of a zero-emission vehicle over the course of their daily patrols. In addition, pressing the Kona EV into service for community engagement events will let the public sample the model’s unique benefits, to win new EV fans.”
Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Officer, Jun Heo said “We’re delighted to provide a Kona Electric for use by the NSW Police Force. Deploying Kona Electric within the Nepean Area Command Crime Prevention Unit as well as for community engagement is a terrific opportunity for the NSW Police Force and the public to experience the unique benefits of our long-range, zero-emission battery-electric SUV,”
An AC charger installed in the Penrith Police Station underground secure carpark will allow recharging overnight as well as during the day. With a real-world range of close to 400km (250mi), it’s unlikely that the Kona Electric will need charging between duties.
Although this is little more than a goodwill and marketing exercise, we hope that this short program gets some police officers thinking differently about their patrol vehicles. A number of police departments in the United States are trialing Teslas for general duties, and the results so far have demonstrated considerable savings over internal combustion engined vehicles.
Hyundai will be launching a refreshed Kona Electric sometime in 2021.
Images: Hyundai Australia