BMW To Supply LAPD With 100 Electric Cop Cars

LAPD i3

BMW has announced that it has won a contract to supply 100 of its compact i3 electric cars to the with the Los Angeles Police Department(LAPD). The initiative is a part of LA's "Sustainable City pLAn," which includes a commitment to make half of its light-duty vehicle purchases fully electric by 2017. The i3s will be used in a "non-emergency" capacity which means, you won't likely see them engaged in high-speed police chases; just for basic department transportation needs and community outreach.

LAPD's move comes after a trial period where it pitted an i3 against a Tesla Model S P85D. The P85D is larger and much quicker, but overall cost may have factored into the decision. The i3 starts at just over $42,000, while the P85D which has since been discontinued has a base price over $100,000. 

BMW cites the i3's efficiency, reliability, connected car capabilities (for the department's fleet management) and its network of service centers as reasons for securing the winning bid, but it's also possible that BMW gave the department a nice fleet discount. BMW says that it will be designing a custom web tool for officers that allows the i3s to be tracked and managed centrally.