It looks as though the American police force is getting the better end of the new police car deal. While our boys in blue get a V-8-powered Chevrolet Caprice, our friends across the pond are getting... Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicles.
"The i-MiEVs have been in the UK on trial for almost a year now and we are delighted that Police Forces in the UK are able to see that the future of zero emissions driving requires no compromise," Mitsubishi UK Managing Director Lance Bradley said.
"No compromise" may be overselling the i-MiEV's policing credentials. A range of 100 miles and a top speed of 81 mph make the i-MiEV useful for light-duty police work in big cities and quiet neighborhoods, but less so in more drastic situations. We're also curious how the i-MiEV's range will be affected by any policing equipment it's saddled with. Still, we'd love to see video of an i-MiEV in a (relatively) high-speed police chase.
The police liveried i-MiEV debuted at the National Police Show last month. Mitsubishi says it was a show-stopper, but didn't elaborate. Since the debut, Mitsubishi says it's been "inundated" with requests from UK police forces looking to try out the little electric four-seater.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV debuts in the UK next month and is expected to hit the streets in December. West Midlands Police has won the honor of being the first police force to get a car in its hands, and we're curious to see what the force thinks of it.
Source: Mitsubishi
