For the first time since it was introduced, the Toyota bZ4X is getting the “blue light” treatment in the U.K. That means that the all-electric has become an emergency services vehicle now that it has joined the London parks police team.
The new parks police patrol vehicle will act as a response car for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. In that role, it will patrol a total of 28 parks, open spaces, and cemeteries. It will also be called into action for events like the Notting Hill Carnival.
“With its high quality, versatility and strong environmental credentials, we’re confident the bZ4X will prove its worth with the borough’s parks police and with many other public service fleet customers in the future,” said Neil Broad, General Manager Toyota One Fleet Services.
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The EV enters into duty with one of the busiest detachments of parks police force in London, meaning it won’t just be there for showing off in. The squad says it selected the bZ4X because of its all-wheel-drive powertrain and its size: it’s small enough to fit through the gateways and along routes through the public parks it will patrol, but big enough to accommodate all of the equipment the teams driving it require.
In addition, the electric vehicle’s environmental benefits were considered in the selection process. The bZ4X’s lack of tailpipe emissions makes it much more welcome in parks than the diesel vehicles the police force formerly drove.
“We are committed to becoming a greener borough and being net-zero as a Council by 2030 and the new car for Parks Police is another step in the right direction,” said Councillor Emma Will, the lead member for Parks and Leisure. “All our vehicles in our parks are now electric and we’re looking to expand our fleet elsewhere. Toyota has worked closely with our Parks Police team to ensure we got exactly what we needed.”
The Toyota bZ4X is equipped with a 71.4 kWh battery pack that offers up to 255 miles (411 km) of range on the WLTP cycle. The battery powers two electric motors that deliver a combined 215 hp (160 kW/218 PS) to all four wheels.
