South Yorkshire Police invest in fleet of 10 Vauxhall Ampera’s

Thursday, December 4, 2014 - 15:05
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It is estimated the force will save a total of £25,000

Electric cars are being used on the streets of South Yorkshire to help police fight crime and be environmentally friendly.

Following a trial in Sheffield earlier this year, the force has invested in ten Vauxhall Ampera cars, which will be used across the county.

South Yorkshire Police are one of only a handful of forces to have invested in this number of vehicles and put in place infrastructure to recharge them.

The cars will be used to carry out inquiries and for officers to visit victims of crime and take statements. They will not be used to respond to emergencies or in pursuits.

It is estimated the force will save a total of £25,000 over the life of the ten vehicles through reduced running costs when compared with traditionally fuelled vehicles.

Sarah Gilding, head of vehicle fleet management for South Yorkshire Police, said: “What we need to evaluate is how cost effective they are and by how much they would reduce our CO2 emissions, while maintaining our service to the public.

“Over the coming years parts of our fleet will need to be replaced and it could be that vehicles such as this could form an important part of our day-to-day activities.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings is supporting the greener fleet of vehicles.

Dr Billings said: “The ever increasing government cuts to funding are a continued threat to policing within South Yorkshire. This innovative approach to the vehicle fleet has given us a chance to make a genuine saving that can be used to ensure that front-line policing does not suffer at the hands of austerity.”

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