What does a police car have to do? And what should not do? The question I have asked myself the days when I with our Endurance test Outlander PHEV stood next to a police vehicle at the traffic light. While the men were law enforcement officers sitting in a German premium-make combination model at the level of the pedestrian lights, I looked down from the seat of the elevated Outlander and into the police car. Which already addresses an important point: Overview! You have a very good overview from up there! Point 1: all-round view.
You hear about the problems of the police. Since Opel station wagons are purchased in which the police can not sit later with the equipment. Important is: space. An SUV not only has a chassis with more ground clearance, no, also the seats are usually arranged so that you sit upright. The SUV also offers a large trunk. Like a station wagon, the space available here is multfifunctional. The problem with the space should therefore be done quickly. Point 2: Place.
An automatic would probably be very useful. Like taxi drivers, police vehicles are always on the move. Much of it in the urban environment. Who wants to switch? If you can switch, you also have your hands free. I do not want to talk about the comfort topic of a long working day. But an automatic is definitely point 3.
But what is it actually like to “sneak up” on the bad guys? OK. I don't mean the question seriously. But an Outlander like this could run quietly in electric mode. Anyone who remembered how people used to play cowboys and Indians and who could sneak up quietly didn't have to run so much later. On the other hand, the silent electric mode would be ideal for inner-city tours. Get the stinkers out of town. And the police could set a good example. And thanks to the petrol engine, there is no range anxiety. So point 4 is noise comfort.
In contrast to many electric vehicles that are flooded in from time to time, pro forma, purely for PR reasons, a police outlander could really be used for everyday use. Point 5: Sensible use of the drive, electric where appropriate, gasoline where necessary.
While I went through the 5 points again in my head, the traffic light jumped to green and thanks to the brisk start of the electric motors, I won the traffic light duel against the police officers. Well, if they knew how much more sensible the Outlander plug-in hybrid that I just had in the endurance test - they would probably have confiscated it straight away.
Addendum: What was to prove!
ecomento.tv has picked up a message stating that the police in Ukraine have ordered 651 Plug-in Hybrid SUVs. I knew, I'm not that wrong with my assumptions.