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The police have selected Czech manufacturer Skoda to supply its new top-of-the-line patrol cars as the Holden brand enters the sunset.
In a statement Wednesday morning, New Zealand Police announced that they had selected the Skoda Superb as the new front-line police car.
The police union said that while the Czech brand could come as a surprise after decades of Holdens and Ford from the other side of the ditch, it was confident that management had made the right decision.
The move comes after General Motors announced the end of the Holden brand and police were forced to search for a new preferred vehicle supplier.
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They went to the industry with a request for proposals in July and the tender closed on August 21.
Police / Stuff
Police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming (left) and Commissioner Andy Coster with one of the Skoda trucks, which will serve as their new front-line patrol cars.
Police Commissioner Andy Coster cited the reduced environmental impact of Czech cars as one of the reasons they were chosen. Electric and hybrid vehicles were considered, but failed to cut due to performance issues.
“With more than 2,000 primary response vehicles currently in action, the selection of a new supplier provides a significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and ensure profitability across our entire fleet,” he said.
They have chosen pickup trucks over sedans because of their greater flexibility, their statement said.
Two Skoda models will be deployed, a 162kW two-wheel drive version and a 206kW four-wheel drive version.
Police expect to deploy the first batch of Skodas in April 2021.
Coster’s statement said the two models stood out as the “ideal primary response vehicles” throughout the bidding process.
“Front-line staff said they handled themselves well and felt confident and secure driving the vehicle.
Damien O’Carroll
The Skoda Superb Scout. Police have not yet released pictures of the Skoda in their new livery.
“They liked the large doors with a wide opening range, easy-to-read instruments, front and rear visibility, and the spaciousness of the rear passenger area.”
Rear seat capacity has been a sore spot for police in recent years.
Police were forced to remove their new Holden Commodore ZB elevators from frontline duties in 2019 due to health and safety concerns caused by a lack of headroom in their rear seats, and replace them with vans.
During their procurement process, the police received submissions from seven vendors offering 27 different vehicles.
Twelve vehicles made the short list and underwent a testing process.
“When all criteria were considered, the two Skoda Superb models scored the highest,” the police statement said.
The president of the police association, Chris Cahill, said he was confident that the police had gone through a rigorous procurement process and made the right decision.
Hamish McNeilly / THINGS
Sergeant Hamish Knight explains the new police electric bike test (first published January 2020).
Front-line personnel had been part of that process and Cahill said he was satisfied that safety was a key factor in the selection of Skoda.
The fact that the Czech manufacturer was selected indicated that police had evaluated the car’s merits rather than choosing the cheap or easy option, Cahill said.
“I don’t think anyone would have expected Skoda to be the obvious choice.”
Coster’s statement said that electric and hybrid vehicles were considered part of the process, but limitations such as energy efficiency and total cost of ownership prevented their selection.
“While incredibly promising, electric and hybrid technology is not yet a viable option for our patrol vehicles.
“However, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and have outlined a ten-year plan for an emissions-free fleet.”
Skoda models, including the Superb and Octavia, are used frequently by emergency services in Europe, including Austria, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
“If Skoda is a preferred manufacturer across Europe, they must be doing something right,” Cahill said.
Skoda’s have lower CO2 emissions compared to the police fleet average.
The patrol vehicles will be replaced when they reach the end of their useful life, at a rate of about 400 a year, police said.
Damien O’Carroll
Rear view of the Skoda Superb Scout wagon.
Holden dealerships will remain in New Zealand to service the vehicles for the next decade or so.
Patrol cars are considered for replacement at six or seven years, or once they reach 120,000 km.
Police said their evaluation criteria included radio interference, performance and brake tests.
“Attributes other than price (such as emissions and serviceability) accounted for 20% of the weight, physical tests 40% (such as road tests), and total cost of ownership accounted for the final 40%.
The Czech car brand Skoda offers a range of vehicles for emergency services.
It had been speculated that the German manufacturer BMW could be a strong competitor as it makes a range of vehicles specially designed for law enforcement and used by the police in Australia.
