The hunt for criminals will be done in an altogether more stealthy way in Germany, where local police is about to adopt electric mobility on a small scale. You guys are looking at the patrol car of the near future, a brand new e-Golf from Volkswagen that's about to go into service.
The fully customized hatchback is based on the first mass production electric car produced by Europe's largest automaker. The Wolfsburg-built patrol car was recently unveiled at the General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference in Leipzig.
The e-Golf received a new light bar on top of the roof, full police livery and a divider in the passenger compartment in order to keep the driver safe from potentially dangerous criminals. In fact, with the exception of the badging and flat wheels, you'd never know this isn't a regular Golf.
While Volkswagen is new to making electric vehicles, it has lots of experience in specialist vehicles, its Passat Estates and Touareg SUVs patrolling the streets of Germany in large numbers. However, while those require visits to the diesel pumps, the e-Golf runs purely on electricity.
Its onboard motor produces 85 kW of power, equivalent to 115 PS. Almost instantaneous torque delivery means it's just as spritely as a normal car, despite the added weight of the batteries. 0 to 60 km/h takes only 4.2 seconds and 100 km/h is reached in 10.4 seconds. Without the added police equipment, the e-Golf is supposed to run for up to 190 kilometers on a full charge, meaning about 4 hours of patrol time is possible.
The e-Golf received a new light bar on top of the roof, full police livery and a divider in the passenger compartment in order to keep the driver safe from potentially dangerous criminals. In fact, with the exception of the badging and flat wheels, you'd never know this isn't a regular Golf.
While Volkswagen is new to making electric vehicles, it has lots of experience in specialist vehicles, its Passat Estates and Touareg SUVs patrolling the streets of Germany in large numbers. However, while those require visits to the diesel pumps, the e-Golf runs purely on electricity.
Its onboard motor produces 85 kW of power, equivalent to 115 PS. Almost instantaneous torque delivery means it's just as spritely as a normal car, despite the added weight of the batteries. 0 to 60 km/h takes only 4.2 seconds and 100 km/h is reached in 10.4 seconds. Without the added police equipment, the e-Golf is supposed to run for up to 190 kilometers on a full charge, meaning about 4 hours of patrol time is possible.