Police Scotland invests £20m on electric fleet

Police Scotland is protecting our pleasant pastures green by investing over £20 million to have the largest fleet of electric police cars in the British Isles.  

Since 2019, Police Scotland has bought 599 Hyundai Kona Electricsas part of a deal worth tens of millions of pounds to make its fleet fully battery-powered by 2035. The force will also phase out its use of petrol and diesel cars to fit the Government’s net-zero deadline. 

Hyundai is working with Police Scotland to adapt its very popular electric SUV to fit the precise requirements needed for police cars. Currently, the cars are being used for non-urgent police business and don’t have the normal yellow and blue livery, but this is due to change in the coming months when they’ll be used for actual 999 calls.

Adding a touch of glamour to their green efforts, Police Scotland also used the Konas to take VIP guests to and from the COP26 summit in 2021. The “strategic vision” for Police Scotland is to be a “fit-for-­purpose, efficient, effective and ­sustainable 21st-century police service,” a spokesperson said. Certainly, the Glasgow event was a fitting occasion to show how forward-thinking Police Scotland is when it comes to tackling climate change.

It’s not just the cars themselves that are changing north of the border; Police Scotland has invested a further £3.1 million on charging infrastructure, including 400 charging points across 50 sites in Scotland, from Dumfries to Dunblane. You won’t find them on Zap Map unfortunately because they’re strictly reserved for police operational use only. Much like those Taxi-only chargers used by electric black cab drivers. 

The force has also confirmed any budget surplus will be reallocated to speed up this transition, so watch this increasingly green space... 

If you’re interested in following in the eco-friendly lane of Police Scotland, then check out our Hyundai Kona Electric reviewor sit back, relax and watch our Youtube videoto get a day-in-the-life feel for the car. Oh, and there are some Konas on cinch, if you’d prefer to be the one behind the wheel.