Carbon offsets needed for police Skoda cruisers?

Police need to replace 2000 new Skoda cruisers with electrics by 2025 or pay for carbon credits under the government’s new carbon policy.

New Zealand police announced its move to replace Holdens with Skoda station wagons just before prime minister Jacinda Ardern declared a climate change emergency and a government move to carbon neutrality by 2025 – which includes police.

Now, climate change minister James Shaw says police will have to cycle those cruisers out of the fleet and replace them with electrics by the 2025 deadline or find a way to purchase carbon credit offsets out of existing, baseline funding, Stuff reports.

EVs and hybrids were tested but limitations, including power efficiency and the total cost of ownership, meant they were not the preferred option, police say.

“While incredibly promising, electric and hybrid technology are not yet a viable option for our patrol vehicles,” commissioner Andy Coster says.

“However, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and have outlined a 10-year plan to an emissions-free fleet.”

Police expect to deploy the Skodas in April 2021 and although the two models sought (162KW 2WD and 206KW 4×4 Superbs) have reduced average CO2 emissions of 162 grams and 176g per kilometre driven – well below the police fleet average of 193g/km – it would mean police having to buy a credit for every 6172km to 5681km driven, Stuff adds.

Prime 1 patrol vehicles in the existing fleet will be replaced when they have reached the end of their useful life, at a rate of around 400 annually,

Shaw says it is unlikely police will cancel the purchasing agreement now, but he’s hoping police might switch to electrics when the contract ends in five years, adding the next lease should be a zero or low emission vehicle.

Police own and operate 3249 vehicles, and the government’s procurement office rates police the ninth dirtiest fleet in government at 193g/km average CO2.

One of the police vehicles is an EV and seven are hybrids while nearly 500 are diesel.

Police minister Poto Williams says police are prepared to reach carbon neutrality by 2025, Stuff adds, and will comply with the requirements announced by Ardern.