Kona and Ioniq 5 have been favoured for non-operational use.

POLICE desire to drive electric has been met – but not by the brand that scored the lucrative contract to supply patrol cars.

While the force has Skoda Superb station wagons on the beat, staff working in non-operational roles are to drive Hyundai electric models.

Hyundai New Zealand has announced today it has supplied 34 Konas and five examples of the Ioniq 5 (asbove), respectively in 64kWh and 72kWh formats, for work in 15 locations around the country.

In June Skoda NZ expressed confidence that its own electric car, the Enyaq iV, stood a good chance of being selected as the first EV Police would use, perhaps even alongside the Superbs employed as Prime One patrol cars.

Coming on local sale next year, the Enyaq iV – a wholly battery-dedicated compact crossover - has already taken to the beat with some European forces.

Skoda NZ boss Rodney Gillard said: “They are looking at Enyaq, absolutely. They're looking at electric vehicles. Obviously they’ve got a lot of work to do in that area.”

Police earlier this year adopted Superb wagons in plug-in hybrid format to run alongside the pure petrol editions primarily used on patrol. The PHEVs have a limited electric-only range.

In shared comment, Hyundai NZ said today its arrangement is to meet a Police plan to build an emissions-free vehicle fleet within five years. It says its cars will provide “Police support personnel with the technology, space, and efficiency needed for a demanding work environment.”

The Kona EV is already a popular commercial fleet option because of its versatility, driver safety technology, and 484km real-world driving range, Hyundai NZ says. It also cites that Kona and Ioniq 5 are proven on local terrain and “a popular choice with Kiwi drivers wanting to reduce their emissions. “