Over three million kilometres on electric patrol Positive conclusion: The police research project "lautlos und einsatzbereit" on electromobility shows many future areas of application

Within the framework of the multi-year research project “lautlos&einsatzbereit“ (silent & ready for action) of the Lower Saxony Police, Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF), various areas of application of electric vehicles within the police were tested. The result was positive: the existing application possibilities are more extensive than previously assumed. Another core result is positive effects on fuel and overall energy consumption. The research findings and recommendations have now been published in a guide.

Lower Saxony’s Minister of the Interior and Sport, Boris Pistorius, says: “Electromobility is becoming increasingly widespread in our society. Last year alone, around two million e-bikes were sold, and the market for electric cars is really taking off. From an ecological and economic perspective, it is also elementary for the Lower Saxony Police, with its fleet of several thousand vehicles and sometimes extreme requirements, to move intensively and successively – as far as possible – electrically. The police in Lower Saxony have been working on alternative drive technologies since 2013. With the ‚lautlos&einsatzbereit‘ project, we have now shown that electromobility also works in our extreme areas of application. It was important for us to gain fundamental insights into the areas of application in which electromobility makes sense and even offers advantages, or where there are currently still limits to further development. In the end, it can be said that the dynamic development in the field of electromobility in particular will offer many new possibilities for the police in the future. With the results of the research project, we have now received something like a manual for our future vehicle management.

The focus of the research project “lautlos&einsatzbereit” was particularly on the emergency and patrol services as well as the investigation services. The project funds enabled the procurement of 53 vehicles and 53 charging points, two of which are fast charging points (50 kW), for the police.

“The cooperation with the Lower Saxony Police in the “lautlos&einsatzbereit” project has proved to be a stroke of luck. For the first time, the opportunity arose to gain comprehensive insights into the operation of a fleet of vehicles with extremely demanding deployment scenarios,” says Professor Peter Hecker, Vice President for Research and Early Career Scientists at Technische Universität Braunschweig. “The project provides the basis for strategic decisions in the concrete design of the energy transition. Numerous enquiries from other authorities and organisations, from Germany and neighbouring countries, prove the success of “lautlos&einsatzbereit”. The guide produced will provide users, manufacturers, authorities as well as political decision-makers with significant support on the path to the vehicle fleet of the future,” Hecker continues.

Police vehicles are operated under extreme conditions, as they basically have to be available around the clock. In addition, they are subject to a high degree of flexibility and mileage as well as unpredictability with regard to their use and respective ranges. Due to the frequent changes of users and weather conditions, the vehicles are also subjected to very high stresses.

Michael Pientka, President of the Braunschweig Police Department, which is responsible for the project for the police in Lower Saxony, comments: “With a small police project team and our competent research partner, Technische Universität Braunschweig, we succeeded in jointly mastering the major, unexpected challenges during the course of the project. The team was on the road in many federal and neighbouring EU countries and was even able to enter into cooperation with the Luxembourg police.”

The collection of extensive measurement data regarding the mobility and charging requirements in the vehicles themselves as well as in the charging infrastructure enabled sound scientific accompanying research. The focus was on the question of whether electrified vehicles are suitable under extreme conditions, but also for general use by the police, and what challenges an electrified fleet entails.

“Starting in the state of Lower Saxony, this innovative project has been able to develop not only a nationwide but also an international impact. The knowledge gained led directly to a significant expansion of electromobility and the charging infrastructure in the Lower Saxony police force. I would like to express my sincere thanks to our project partner, Technische Universität Braunschweig, our project team and all those involved for the groundbreaking and innovative findings and results,” Pientka continued.

This guide, which has now been produced within the research project, will in future support decision-makers from politics and administration, fleet and charging infrastructure managers, fleet managers and users in the planning, procurement and operation of fleets with special requirements. With the help of the guide, the results and recommendations can be transferred to other areas with similar application profiles. Authorities and organisations with security tasks such as fire brigades, technical relief organisations and rescue services are also eligible. The existence of a practical planning basis for the police thus also easily serves the application to far less demanding fleets.

Project data:

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety funded the research project as part of the “Erneuerbar Mobil“ (Renewably Mobile) funding programme with funding amounting to 1.3 million euros. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Labour, Transport and Digitalisation supported the Lower Saxony flagship project with a further 990,000 euros. “lautlos&einsatzbereit” started on 1 September 2016 and ended on 31.03.2020. The Braunschweig Police Department, the Lower Saxony Central Police Department, the Institute for High Voltage Technology and Power Systems, the Institute of Automotive Engineering, Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology, Sustainable Manufacturing and Life Cycle Engineering and the Institute of Automotive Management and Industrial Production, Chair of Production and Logistics were involved.