Swiss police pick Hyundai Kona Electric as EV patrol car

Fremont, Calif., isn't the only place with electric police cars anymore. In the Swiss canton (similar to a state or county) of St. Gallen, the police department ordered up 13 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric crossovers. Five of them get the full patrol car treatment shown above with neon orange and white paint, blue police lights, sirens and a police radio. The other eight cars will be left unmodified for non-patrol duties.

According to Hyundai, the Kona was selected after testing and after meeting the St. Gallen police department's basic requirements. For an electric vehicle to be considered, it had to be less than 50,000 Swiss francs, which is just under $50,000, have over 100 kW (134 horsepower), a range of more than 400 kilometers (249 miles), and be readily available. The Kona, with its base price of 46,990 francs in Switzerland, and a WLTP range of 449 km (258 miles for U.S. models) met that criteria and won over the department.

And because we're sure someone will say something otherwise, the Tesla Model 3 also meets the basic criteria. The base single motor model starts at 47,200 francs, a little more than the Kona, and it has a listed range of 415 kilometers versus the Kona's 449 kilometer-range. The cheapest dual-motor model has much more power and range, but it also starts at 56,900 francs, which is higher than the department's price ceiling.

This Swiss police force's choice to add electric cars to its fleet is also one of a few signs of greener police cars coming. Ford has developed hybrid versions of its Fusion and Explorer police cars called the Ford Police Responder Hybrid and Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid. Both are even rated for pursuit duty in the event a chase breaks out.