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Tuesday 5 July 2022

Running out of puff



Electric police cars ‘running out of puff’ on way to emergencies

Electric police cars are running out of charge when responding to emergencies because the blue lights and sirens drain the batteries, it has been suggested.

Officers using environmentally friendly vehicles in rural areas are also struggling to locate charging points, raising questions about their effectiveness.

The vast majority of constabularies in England and Wales now include electric vehicles in their fleet, with the Metropolitan Police pledging to be 100 per cent electric by 2030.

Interesting phrase that - 'running out of puff'. As if Noddy's car has conked out and Mr. Plod helpfully suggests it has 'run out of puff'. 

Of course it means the cars aren't yet up to the job as anyone but a head below the parapet bureaucrat could have foreseen. But there is a solution. Bung a diesel generator in the back with a tank of fuel on the roof is one possibility. 

7 comments:

Doonhamer said...

There is a joke there somewhere. Police. Charge. Battery.
In my mind I am seeing a police Morris Minor with a big wind up key sticking out of the roof, poking out the driver's window a brass speaking trumpet amplifying the driver's voice as he goes "Knee, Gnaw. - Knee, Gnaw." chasing a Flintstones style car.

DiscoveredJoys said...

How long before delays in the attendance of emergency services and the police are blamed on inability to charge their vehicles?

Sam Vega said...

Can't they just switch to phone calls, websites, and Zoom like the doctors have done?

johnd2008 said...

I am waiting for the first electric Fire Engines.Imagine being at a major fire with many appliances attending and needing to pump water for several hours.

A K Haart said...

Doonhamer - "a brass speaking trumpet amplifying the driver's voice as he goes "Knee, Gnaw. - Knee, Gnaw.""

That's an excellent idea for saving the battery. Must be worth a few extra miles.

DJ - can't be long now. A year or two at the most.

Sam - good idea. They follow the example of our GP and throttle the phone service so it is almost impossible to get through without making hundreds of attempts.

John - they might manage to pump water for several minutes.

Ed P said...

The most likely causes of fire now are the lithium batteries in vehicles. So, an electrically-powered fire engine could be a bad idea - pumps running, lights flashing, smoke rising from its overloaded battery, oh dear...

A K Haart said...

Ed - it must be a possibility that EVs will eventually be banned from the channel tunnel for that reason.