Let's see, we've had plug-in vehicles do cop car duty at Scotland Yard (Vauxhall Ampera) and New York City (Chevrolet Volt) and we've all seen the little EV parking meter vehicles, so today's announcement that the Nissan Leaf is going to be used as a police vehicle in Portugal isn't exactly a surprise. What is interesting is that the eight EVs that will soon be used on patrol are being touted as a way for the fuzz to "arrive at the scene of a crime in near silence."
Portugal's PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) will use the all-electric hatchbacks mostly for the Safe School Program, Nissan said in a statement, but they are decked out and ready "to perform other police duties at any time" should they be asked to do so. We're guessing long-haul chases will not be part of the mission, but other than that, we don't see any reason the eight Leaf will be treated much differently than the other 5,000 in the PSP fleet, especially since Portugal has been building a network of EV chargers, Level 2 and quick chargers among them.
Portugal's PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) will use the all-electric hatchbacks mostly for the Safe School Program, Nissan said in a statement, but they are decked out and ready "to perform other police duties at any time" should they be asked to do so. We're guessing long-haul chases will not be part of the mission, but other than that, we don't see any reason the eight Leaf will be treated much differently than the other 5,000 in the PSP fleet, especially since Portugal has been building a network of EV chargers, Level 2 and quick chargers among them.
Nissan LEAF Gets the Blue Light in Portugal
Award-winning electric vehicle joins the Portuguese police force
The eight Nissan LEAF police cars will be operated by Portugal's PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) the security force responsible for policing the large urban areas of the country.
The multi-award winning zero-emission cars will be used mainly as part of the PSP's Safe School Program, but with flashing blue lights, sirens and clear 'Polícia' markings, they can be called upon to perform other police duties at any time.
Nissan LEAF was chosen by PSP as part of its push to reduce its ecological footprint.
"We pride ourselves in being the first police force in the world to incorporate cars with zero-emission technology as part of our 5,000 vehicle fleet," said Superintendent Paul Gomes Valente, National Director of PSP. "We want to continue contributing to the reduction in pollution in large urban centers and the introduction of the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF sets a new benchmark for our fleet."
Portugal is an EV pioneer in Europe. It was one of the first countries to install a network of EV chargers in its big cities and was the first to sell Nissan LEAF to the European public when it was introduced in 2011.
Award-winning electric vehicle joins the Portuguese police force
- Eight zero-emission Nissan LEAF EVs start patrolling Portuguese streets
- Portugal's PSP is the first force in the world with a fleet of Nissan LEAF EVs
- Move underlines Portugal's commitment to electric vehicles
The eight Nissan LEAF police cars will be operated by Portugal's PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) the security force responsible for policing the large urban areas of the country.
The multi-award winning zero-emission cars will be used mainly as part of the PSP's Safe School Program, but with flashing blue lights, sirens and clear 'Polícia' markings, they can be called upon to perform other police duties at any time.
Nissan LEAF was chosen by PSP as part of its push to reduce its ecological footprint.
"We pride ourselves in being the first police force in the world to incorporate cars with zero-emission technology as part of our 5,000 vehicle fleet," said Superintendent Paul Gomes Valente, National Director of PSP. "We want to continue contributing to the reduction in pollution in large urban centers and the introduction of the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF sets a new benchmark for our fleet."
Portugal is an EV pioneer in Europe. It was one of the first countries to install a network of EV chargers in its big cities and was the first to sell Nissan LEAF to the European public when it was introduced in 2011.
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