What's the news?
The BMW i3 has become a familiar sight on Irish roads over the last couple of years, particularly in urban areas, although we'd wager a bet that you've never imagined one as a police car.
Believe it or not, one has now been added to the fleet of An Garda Síochána, in an attempt to quantify the suitability of electric vehicles for practical use.
The Government has set a target for the Public Sector of a verifiable 33 per cent energy-efficiency saving by 2020, and with An Garda Síochána's current fleet comprising of some 2,800 vehicles, the arrival of the i3 is very timely.
Donated by BMW Group Ireland and bedecked in An Garda Síochána livery, the car made its debut at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition in Dublin's RDS, where it drew crowds of interested students. This particular i3 is the regular 94Ah model, and has an official all-electric range of 180km.
Anthony Casey of BMW Group Ireland stated: "We are excited to provide our ground-breaking BMW i3 to An Garda Síochána. Every aspect of the i3 has been conceived for sustainability, but at the same time it is extremely agile, so it will certainly not escape the attention of the public on our roads."
The i3 range includes models with and without the Range Extender combustion engine, and spans from €36,510 to €49,160 in terms of price, including SEAI grants and VRT rebates. It will certainly be interesting to see how the car performs in this new role, and whether or not it will pave the way for further EVs to join the force in a functional capacity.