The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the new electric car from the police

It would be the end cheatcode for the Dutch police to continue driving V6 diesels while everyone else uses electric cars. But because the police want to keep the operations fair, the police cars must also be electric. Or it is because of sustainable goals, that is also possible. To get the officers used to plugging in, the police recently bought new electric police cars.

The Dutch police have a total of eight copies of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 converted into a police car. With 218 hp and a 0 to 100 time of 7.4 seconds, they are slightly faster than the B-class. The maximum speed of an electric police car is ‘only’ 185 km/h, but that’s enough: basically, officers in ‘basic cars’ are not allowed to drive more than 40 km/h above the speed limit. Police A6 is allowed to drive faster.

Different types of electric police car

This type of Hyundai Ioniq 5 is 481 kilometers on paper. If the officer just quietly patrols the city, this will be more. If an electric police car is giving chase, its range will quickly decrease. This Hyundai Ioniq 5 cost more than 50,000 euros new, but the police did not buy new cars.

If you look at the license plate number of this Hyundai in the RDW database, it will say that it is a black car from 2022. So the cars were not ordered new in white, but some old cars have been painted white with police equipment. By the way, it is legally required to have one report any color change to RDW and the police have already done so.

The Ioniq 5 is not a new base car

Finally, one third of the primary police vehicles must be fully electric, for which a tender process is underway where various brands and models are being tested. This electric police car is not part of that experiment. A police spokesperson told Top Gear Netherlands that officers can get more experience driving basic electric police cars with this Hyundai. Earlier the police did this with Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona. Currently, the Ioniq 5 is the only basic electric car.

Rick, an inspector from Zeeland-West-Brabant, tells us the following about the electric police car: ‘I don’t see driving an electric car as an obstacle, but it does require adjustments in our work. We usually fill up our cars at the end of the shift. With this car we have to teach ourselves to put the car on the charger at the same time, for example when we eat in the office or make a cup of coffee. The car also has a discreet advantage. You can hear our traditional diesels coming from afar, the Ioniq 5 is very quiet. It is still useful in the case of red-handed theft.’

New police cars from Ford and BMW are on the way

Two-thirds of the basic police cars have a combustion engine. Tests will soon take place with the Ford Kuga and BMW X1, which are still under construction. Testing must be done and the new base vehicles must be fully operational from next year. It is not yet known which car brand will be allowed to distribute electric vehicles.