After evaluating a BMW and Tesla to determine the practicality of electric vehicles for police work, the Los Angeles Police Department will lease 100 BMW i3s, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD chief Charlie Beck announced Monday.
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The Verge reports that BMW has won a contract to supply the LAPD with 100 of its tiny electric cars.
The BMW i3 is priced at $42,000, which is a significantly cheaper per-car price than Tesla’s $108k P90D Model S variant. While the Model S wins out in style and speed, there are a few reasons why the i3 choice was right for the nation’s second-largest police force.
The BMW i3 vehicles bring the number of fully electric vehicles in the city’s fleet to 199. Some of the cars may also be equipped with BMW’s range extender known as REx, a small gas generator that is supposed to kick in when the battery is out of juice.
And for those who might say that American police officers should be driving American-made cars, the i3 is constructed from carbon fibers produced in a hydro-powered facility in Washington State.
BMW also promises to provide charging infrastructure to the city: its “I centers” will service the LAPD’s new fleet in a “convenient and cost effective way”. With a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a range of 80 to 100 miles, the U.S. version of the auto costs just over $40,000.
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BMW’s software data system will integrate with the LAPD’s fleet management system which will allow the department to electronically receive critical vehicle data needed to effectively maintain their fleet. An LAPD administrator told CNBC in May that Tesla isn’t practical now, but may be in the next three to five years.
