London Metropolitan Police Order 117 Civic Hybrids; Largest Yet Hybrids Fleet Order in UK
20 August 2006
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| Civic Hybrid in Met Police livery. |
The London (UK) Metropolitan Police have ordered 117 Honda Civic Hybrids—the largest yet fleet deal for hybrid cars in the UK. The Metropolitan Police will use the hybrids for its Community Support Officer to use as part of a Safer Neighborhoods program.
Officers will use the cars to travel from their operational bases to the start of their foot patrols. The cars will not be used for patrol vehicles, which, for the Met Police, are primarily performance diesels (55-60% of the 6,000-6,500 vehicles in the fleet).
[The hybrids will help] meet police requirements and at the same time fulfil social responsibility to try and make our fleet of vehicles as green as possible. The police, like many other like-minded people, want to do their bit.
It’s now widely acknowledged that hybrids provide the middle stepping stone to hydrogen fuel cell cars—our long term goal. Hybrid technology utilizes a vehicle that performs in the same way as a conventional car but has the advantage of a reduced emissions footprint.
—Stuart Middleton, Director of Transport Services at the Met Police
The Met tried electric and LPG vehicles in the past but halted the initiatives due to a combination of impracticality, reduction in funding and OEMs stopping factory production. The Met currently recognizes hybrid technology as the most viable stepping stone in the medium term but remain open to explore alternatives.
The Greater London Authority is planning to introduce 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles in London by 2010 (earlier post), and the Met plans to be running four of them.
The Toyota Lexus Rx 400h is undergoing trials in the UK for full police operational duty—i.e., including patrol and emergency response. (Earlier post.)
Perhaps a performance hybrid (hydraulic for relative simplicity or electric for plugin capability + acoustic stealthfor certain situations) could fit the bill for most police work. For example, modified police versions of the Dodge Charger, or Chevy Impala.
Posted by: allen Z | 20 August 2006 at 05:17 PM
Speeders rejoyce.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz | 20 August 2006 at 06:30 PM
The police should commission something like the Tesla roadster with a turbodiesel sustainer for pursuit tasks. It could run on 90% electricity, and speeders wouldn't have a chance.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 20 August 2006 at 08:39 PM
Those making the "speeder" comments, please read the post.
"Officers will use the cars to travel from their operational bases to the start of their foot patrols. The cars will not be used for patrol vehicles..."
Posted by: Joseph Willemssen | 20 August 2006 at 09:15 PM
The definition of 'hybrid car' is wide, for instance the Honda Insight is also a hybrid, and it is a very different car.
The most economical hybrid, like the Honda Insight, has an efficient electric motor drive-train (such as in-wheel motors) and an efficient electric generator for charging batteries that works on gasoline (or biodiesel). These cars triple the autonomous distance between gas-stations, compared with internal combustion drive-train cars.
The Honda Civic Hybrid has an ordinary combustion engine drive train added with secondary electric motor. It is only half as efficient as the Honda Insight, which is taken out of production. I would not buy a Honda Civic hybrid, it is not the real deal.
The right combination would be BridgeStone's in-wheel motors with active-suspension (active electronic damping of mechanical vibration of the extra unsprung weight), EEStor's super capacitor (with twice the energy-capacity/weight ratio compared with the li-ion battery, rechargeable in 10 minutes an unlimited number of recharge), an ultra-light aerodynamic car body, and a generator that runs on biofuel.
Such a car could make use of all green-energy resources, such as PV, wind-turbine or bio-fuel.
Hydrogen fuelcells are very inefficient (too much energy is wasted to convert electricity and 2H2O into 2H2+O2, and too much is wasted to convert 2H2+O2 back into 2H2O and electricity). Hydrogen as energy carrier is very inefficient, not my choice.
Posted by: Koen | 21 August 2006 at 04:16 AM
Joseph, you have no sense of humor, do you? Have a drink why dontcha!
Posted by: anon | 21 August 2006 at 04:57 AM
"It’s now widely acknowledged that hybrids provide the middle stepping stone to hydrogen fuel cell cars—our long term goal."
As Director of Transport Services at the Met Police this comment is completely inappropriate. He should be neutral to technologies, and make his choices only on specifications.
B.t.w. where does his wisdom come from? He states as a FACT that the hydrogen car has already won the battle. I do not see the wide acknowledgement he is talking about. Has the hydrogen lobby brainwashed this guy?
Personally, I give the battery car a much better chance of success. And I am not the only one. Now that's a FACT.
Posted by: anne | 21 August 2006 at 06:20 AM
Let us not assault Stuart Middleton of the Met Police - at least on that side of the Atlantic, they can comment on something other than coffee & donuts
Posted by: fyi CO2 | 21 August 2006 at 07:38 AM
Koen:
There isn't much difference between a Honda Insight and a Honda Civic Hybrid. Both uses Honda's IMA technology, which operates pretty much by the same principle. The biggest difference is that Insight is smaller and lighter, thus gets much better mileage. Of course, Insight has not change much since 2000, while current Civic is using Honda's 3rd generation IMA technology.
Posted by: Charles S. | 21 August 2006 at 08:02 AM
anne.
I fully agree with you. PHEVs will be the stepping stone to BEVs or EVs. Quick charge bateries and/or improved super capacitors will give tomorrow's EVs sufficient range at a competitive price within 10 years. The final solution should be a mix of PHEVs and EVs.
All the extra 'clean' electrical energy required can be produced from hydro+waves+sun+wind (and up-to-date nuclear, if required).
The existing electrical distribution network can easily be upgraded and integrated when and where required.
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Posted by: Frodo Faggins | 06 July 2007 at 02:38 PM
The former Governor of Plateau State Joseph Dariye currently standing trial in Nigeria has indicted the London metropolitan Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for keeping back part of the loot recovered from him the total of N777 Million and only N27 Million was returned to Nigeria throught the Minister of Justice and Attorny General of the Federation office, can you please react to this inditment.
Posted by: OFEM UKET | 02 October 2007 at 03:32 AM
The former Governor of Plateau State Joseph Dariye currently standing trial in Nigeria has indicted the London metropolitan Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for keeping back part of the loot recovered from him the total of N777 Million and only N27 Million was returned to Nigeria throught the Minister of Justice and Attorny General of the Federation office, can you please react to this inditment. FROM: (LEADERSHIP NEWPAPER NIGERIA)
Posted by: OFEM UKET | 02 October 2007 at 03:33 AM