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Avon and Somerset‘s journey towards a zero-emission fleet of vehicles has been recognised as leading the way in the policing sector.
The recognition stems from the 2024 Electric Fleet Race, run by Rightcharge, which is a monthly insight into organisations who have shown real commitment to delivering a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) fleet.
Avon and Somerset Police has 49 electric vehicles, which are being used as neighbourhood cars, forensics vans and general-purpose vehicles, and the force has just passed the 500,000-mile mark for the fleet as a whole.
“We estimate we’ll have between 60 to 80 vehicles by the end of this financial year, including fully electric cell vans.”
This is all on top of the current fleet of 139 electric bikes, primarily used by Neighbourhood Policing teams, and two plug-in motorcycles, which are being piloted in Bridgwater and Fishponds.
“We’re continuing to make great strides towards our ambition to achieve a zero-emissions fleet as soon as possible. The ambition poses significant challenges, particularly around infrastructure, but we’re working with other police forces, as well as locally with electricity distribution network operators to provide the infrastructure and plans we need to achieve this.
“A dedicated project team will be coming together to look at the options around on-site generation of green energy, for example. It’s good to be recognised nationally and we know we have a lot of work to do, but we’re pleased with the progress we’ve made so far, especially with the introduction of more electric vehicles on the horizon.”
Ben Mohide, Delivery Manager in Transport Services.
The force currently has 15 charger locations across the Avon and Somerset Police estate, with 44 outlets. The CID team in Bridgwater has covered more than 50,000-miles with their electric vehicles in just under two years.
The Neighbourhood Policing team in Shepton Mallet and Broadbury have both exceeded 20,000 miles in two years, across two vehicles. And South West Forensics have managed nearly 25,000-miles in their first year with electric vehicles.
On 22 May, Greenfleet will host a webinar entitled ‘Public Sector & Blue Light’. The session will help accelerate and de-risk the road to net zero, focusing on bespoke fleet transition strategies, advice on how to select the most appropriate vehicle technologies and infrastructure and getting the most from initial vehicle trials and deployments. Register here.
Emergency Services Times hosted a webinar entitled ‘Electric vehicles and the emergency services: a three-part problem’. The session looked at the complex triad of challenges that needs to be addressed: the array of electric vehicle options, the requisite skill sells for fleet maintenance and the essential charging infrastructure.
Watch on demand here: Electric Vehicles and the Emergency Services: A Three-Part Problem – crowdcast