BMW won the contract to supply 100 unit EVs for LAPD

Unlike the Dubai police that has a full fleet of supercars, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), actually purchased 100 units of the BMW i3's fleet of non-emergency law enforcement. BMW has won a bid to supply the Los Angeles Police Department with electric vehicles after months of field testing that pitted the German automaker against competitors like Tesla.

The Los Angeles Police Department has picked the BMW i3 electric vehicle after testing the car for a year. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b2eF4)

Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, said he always thought of making the earth greener. By purchasing of BMW i3 shows how local government can lead it happen. "Our sustainability plan pushed LA to accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and technologies, which also saves money and resources," he said.

As reported by Fortune, the LAPD’s electric car deal is supposed to help Los Angeles meet its environmental goals as outlined in its sustainability plan. It calls for 80% of city’s fleet of light-duty vehicles to be electric by 2025.

Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck announce a year long test of a BMW i3 electric vehicle at a City of Los Angeles press conference in Los Angeles, Sept. 11, 2015. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b2eF4)

As with the official non-emergency fleet, BMW i3 is not used to eradicate crime. The electric car will be part of the police initiative in community outreach campaign. Unlike the standard version, the BMW i3 is equipped with the devices that allows the LAPD to track their fleet in real-time. BMW said it will contribute to enhancing the dissemination and utilization of the i3.

As quoted of The Verge, to deploy a fleet of EVs, you need a way to charge them. LAPD is working with EV charger management company Greenlots to make that happen, installing 100 Level 2 chargers and four DC Fast Charge stations, which can charge a depleted i3 to 80 percent in half an hour or less. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE VERGE | FORTUNE | ELECTREK]

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