100% electric patrol car project

/ URBAN / ELECTRIC VEHICLES /

Develop a first 100% electric patrol car in Quebec adapted to emergency calls within the police patrol fleet.

A PROJECT BY

The City of Repentigny, through its Police Service (SPVR), trialed a Ford Mustang Mach-E over a 9-month period to learn about the challenges of integrating electric vehicles into police officers’ daily work.

As part of this project, stakeholders are collaborating with Cyberkar, a company specializing in technological solutions for emergency and police vehicles, to convert a Ford Mustang Mach-E into a 100% electric police vehicle.

Project objectives

Reducing the ecological footprint: a gasoline patrol car operating 24/7 consumes a lot of fuel and generates a significant amount of GHGs. Over the four (4)-year lifespan of a traditional patrol car, 100% of the GHGs, or 92 tonnes, would be eliminated. In Quebec, it is estimated that an electric vehicle becomes greener than a gasoline vehicle after driving between 30,000 km and 65,000 km. According to the parameters studied in Repentigny, the electric patrol car will be greener after only one year;
Based on the conclusions drawn by the IVI, whose role in the pilot project is to adapt a 100% electric patrol car capable of operating fully throughout an entire shift;
Design a 100% electric, functional vehicle that meets the real needs of patrollers in the field;
Reduce fuel purchase expenses, relying on the analysis carried out by the IVI regarding the costs and benefits associated with electrifying a patrol vehicle. A patrol vehicle in Quebec runs on gasoline and consumes an average of 15 L/100 km. In Repentigny, traditional patrol cars travel on average more than 51,000 km annually. Thus, depending on the price of gasoline, average fuel savings of $60,000 over the life of a vehicle would be expected (2021 data);
Reduce costs related to patrol car maintenance: with an electric patrol car, the aim is to reduce costs in terms of repair, maintenance and vehicle replacement (the project will evaluate the possibility of exceeding the average lifespan of 4–5 years to 7 years and more);
Improve and adapt ergonomics for police work throughout the pilot project: although the necessary equipment remains the same, the vehicle had to be redesigned to become an electric patrol car that meets policing needs. The entire interior ergonomics were reviewed, in collaboration with the Association paritaire en santé et sécurité, municipal affairs sector, to ensure increased safety and a better work environment. With ergonomics reviewed and adapted by APSAM, the risk of musculoskeletal injuries for police personnel is reduced, while offering better accessibility to vehicle controls.

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Pre-project methodology

The City of Repentigny and its Police Service (SPVR), in their willingness to promote innovative projects, joined forces with Cyberkar to develop a kit of equipment meeting patrollers’ needs to convert a Ford Mustang Mach-E into a 100% electric patrol car. The City of Repentigny thus becomes the first municipality to deploy a 100% electric patrol car dedicated to emergency response on its territory, as part of this pilot project spread over nearly a year.

Vehicle choice
The Ford MACH-E proved to be the most suitable in theory and practice in 2019, taking into account a multitude of characteristics and needs for police work, such as ergonomics.
Design, engineering, simulation, prototypes
Converting an electric vehicle into a patrol car was a major challenge since it was necessary to start a research and development process from scratch, in collaboration with Cyberkar. Everything had to be designed to meet the needs of police personnel.
Installation and configuration
Complete the conversion and installation of all parts designed and manufactured to measure, largely in Quebec.
Training
The Repentigny Police Service, the École Nationale des Policiers du Québec, the IVI and Electric Mobility Canada collaborated on the information and training phase intended for police officers, the end users. This phase aimed to demystify the arrival of this new technology, explain the course of the project, and offer trials in controlled conditions to end users.
Showcase project and testing period
Present the patrol car to other municipalities and police services across Quebec, to possibly proceed with group purchasing and achieve economies of scale. The vehicle and its technology were also presented at a vehicle show in New York.
The testing period allowed analysis of the general use of the new patrol car in a real environment: driving and battery efficiency during various police interventions, under varied usage conditions, through the activation of controls, such as the light bar, for example.

Financing

Technology showcase: budget of $700,000 for a grant of $350,000 awarded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (formerly MEI).

The pilot project is carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (formerly MERN).

This investment includes:

Adaptation of existing technologies for the Dodge Charger (gasoline patrol cars) to Ford Mustang Mach-E police vehicles;
Marketing around the project (participation in events such as the New York Fleet Show and private events).

Results achieved

Visibility

For both Cyberkar and the City of Repentigny, this pilot project circulated widely in the media, allowing both entities to confirm their leadership in innovation in Quebec.

Project wins

The visibility generated by the project allowed Cyberkar to become better known and to obtain contracts with various Canadian and American police forces.

The final results were revealed in May 2023 by the IVI.

Lessons learned

Success factors

Early findings confirm that the electric vehicle project can respond to emergency calls 24 hours a day.
Having chosen to install a 50 kW charging station.
The involvement of police officer users in all stages of the project.
New visual identity: the City of Repentigny and the SPVR set up a committee to study the new visual identity of the patrol car. This approach allowed reflections on identification elements in terms of best practices to ensure the safety of police officers and citizens. The idea was to apply the standard of best practices for emergency service vehicles adapted to the North American context, notably with contrasting colors using yellow and blue and a white side stripe. The ultimate goal: optimize the vehicle’s visibility, whether moving or stationary, by day or at night, thanks to the reflectivity of fluorescent and reflective colors, at a minimum distance of 500 meters. The objective is to enhance the safety of police personnel and citizens by reducing the risk of accidents.
Quebec suppliers: Cyberkar set up a network of Quebec suppliers for each part to be produced, in aluminum or plastic.

Challenges and practical advice in carrying out such a project

Technological challenges:

Manufacture of new parts (e.g., push bumper, detainee partitions, etc.);
Maximum permitted weight when adding equipment to the vehicle according to manufacturer recommendations. Steel is too heavy, so Cyberkar opted for aluminum equipment, which is lighter and durable;
Optimization of space within the vehicle;
First patrol car equipped with airbags in the rear seats;
Many iterations for integrating computing systems with the original screen. More technological challenges than initially anticipated.
Power supply for accessories: a challenge in itself, since the base version of the electric vehicle has a small battery, the amount of available energy is limited to power added equipment. It was therefore necessary to add an auxiliary battery to power this equipment without using the vehicle’s main energy;
Inability to connect two devices simultaneously on Android Auto;

Practical advice:

Surround yourself with companies specialized in their field;
Design the solution with end users at all stages;
Use specialized technologies that enable development of more efficient solutions.

Things to keep in mind when running a similar project

Engage decision-makers and the various stakeholders throughout the project (city);
Involve and constantly communicate with end users;
Start seeking funding from the outset of the project;
Establish partnerships;
Have a project manager who ensures follow-up and implementation;
Obtain data to monitor the process (before, during, after).

Next steps

Commercialization of innovations developed as part of the project: summer 2023. The equipment developed can be integrated into other vehicle types, following receipt of official certifications.

Cyberkar aims to sell the solution developed for the Ford Mustang Mach-E in 50 units by grouping different municipal police services to recoup development costs of these technologies. The results of the final report will allow the company to plan next steps.

Project partners

Les systèmes Cyberkar inc. – Solution developer
City of Repentigny – Project promoter
Police Service of the City of Repentigny – Operator
Institut du véhicule innovant – Research center – orchestration of the pilot project, collection and analysis of vehicle data, in addition to involvement in police training
Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, secteur affaires municipales (APSAM)
Creaform – equipment design

Resources

Deepen your knowledge of the project:

Articles published about the project:

Project contact person

Institut du véhicule innovant
Charles Trudel – Project Manager
ctrudel@ivisolutions.ca
1-855-731-5744

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