A new recruit has joined Nepean Police – but it hasn’t been trained in Goulburn.
On June 20, a Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan joined the Nepean Police Area Command’s vehicle fleet, having been loaned to the law enforcement agency by the carmaker.
It’ll be used by Nepean Police’s Crime Prevention Unit for community interactions, rather than actual day-to-day police duties.
It’s not the first electric vehicle to join an Australian police department.
In early 2021, a Hyundai Kona EV joined the Nepean Police Area Command’s fleet, based in Penrith and enlisted for the same community engagement duties as the Ioniq 6.
Western Australia followed suit in June 2022, with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai being trialled.
The Kia EV6 GT-Line became the most powerful vehicle across Queensland’s police lineup in June 2023, with a 12-month trial taking place across Cairns, Nambour, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Brisbane.
At the time, Matthew Vanderbyl, assistant commissioner of Queensland Police Service, predicted electric vehicles (EVs) will be the future of police cars.
“I think that’s inevitable, I think we see a really accelerating take-up of electric vehicles within the broader community and there are good reasons for that, and I think we’re no different,” said Assistant Commissioner Vanderbyl in June 2023.
“We’ve got operational implications that we have got to work through as well, but I think that we’ve really proven some of the earlier technology with hybrid and plug-in hybrid as well.”
MORE: Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, Toyota Mirai hydrogen car join WA police
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