Austria’s Ministry of the Interior has concluded that battery-electric vehicles are only conditionally suitable for operational police use following a large-scale trial involving electric patrol cars across several regions of the country.
The assessment came after a pilot program that deployed 24 electric vehicles in real-world police operations beginning in early 2024. The trial involved around 20 participating police stations across four federal states: Tyrol, Salzburg, Lower Austria and Vienna.
According to the ministry, the evaluation identified several operational challenges, including limited charging infrastructure and increased vehicle weight resulting from batteries combined with tactical police equipment.
As a result, the program will be discontinued at the end of the year.
The test fleet included a range of electric models used for different duties, including the Volkswagen ID.3 and Volkswagen ID.4, as well as a Porsche Taycan deployed for motorway patrol operations.
The ministry said the pilot program was conducted alongside scientific research to evaluate the vehicles’ performance in day-to-day policing scenarios.
“Currently, only their use as courier vehicles outside operational police duties is assessed positively. These assessments partly correspond with the experiences of other emergency service organisations,” the ministry said in a statement.
Despite the findings, officials indicated that electric vehicles may still play a role in the future as the technology continues to evolve.
The ministry said it would continue monitoring developments in alternative powertrains.
“Ongoing market observation will continue in the coming years, as rapid technical advancements are still expected in the field of alternative drive systems,” the ministry said.
Source: orf.at