Hyundai Kona EV Police Cars Added To Fleet In Switzerland
The Swiss canton of St. Gallen has purchased 13 Hyundai Kona EVs for its fleet of police vehicles. St. Gallen is located in the northeast corner of the country near the border with Lichtenstein.
Five of the Kona EVs will get the full patrol car treatment shown above — neon orange and white paint, blue police lights, sirens, and a police radio. The other eight cars will remain unmodified and will be used for more mundane police duties, according to Autoblog.
According to Hyundai, the Kona was selected after testing showed that it met all of the St. Gallen police department’s basic requirements for an electric vehicle. Eligible cars had to cost less than 50,000 Swiss francs (just under $50,000), have at least a 100 kW (134 horsepower) motor, have a range of more than 400 kilometers (249 miles), and be readily available.
The Kona EV has a base price of 46,990 Swiss francs, a 150 kW motor, and a WLTP range of 449 km. As to whether it is readily available, that’s debatable. It certainly is as scarce as lederhosen in most US markets.
The Tesla Model 3 also meets the basic criteria. The base single motor Model 3 starts at 47,200 francs — slightly more than the Kona — but its range is less, 415 kilometers. The dual-motor Model 3 has more power and range than the Kona EV, but its base price of 56,900 francs is higher than the St Gallen police department’s allowable maximum cost.
In February, the Hyundai Kona EV was named the 2019 CleanTechnica Car Of The Year, just edging out its corporate cousin, the Kia Niro EV. Nicolas Zart spent some time with one and declared, “There is almost no reason to buy a gasoline car now.” Needless to say, he was much impressed by Hyundai’s all-electric SUV.
“The Hyundai Kona EV is fun to drive, has 201 hp (150 kW) of power, and has a copious 291 lb-ft of torque. This EV should replace just about any daily gasoline commuter. Hyundai does a great job packaging the Kona EV very well. It includes standard wireless phone charging and great driving features,” Nicolas enthused.
The St. Gallen police department would seem to agree.
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