Quebec’s first electric patrol car

Quebec’s first electric patrol car will roll through the streets of Repentigny in the spring as part of a pilot project.

Testing of the car, which will last six months, should begin in April and will be used, among other things, to analyze battery efficiency during various police interventions.

“It’s a starting point,” said Jean-Claude Roche, chief logistics inspector at the Police Service de la Ville de Repentigny (SPVR). We have data that we collect and it will then be shared with the entire police community in Quebec.”

About fifteen police officers will be assigned to the project.

Cyberkar, a Terrebonne company that specializes in cutting-edge technology solutions for emergency vehicles, City of Repentigny and SPVR are currently converting the Ford Mustang Mach-E to make it meet the needs of patrol officers. The interior of the car, in particular, must be modified.

“We build a vehicle from scratch,” Mr. Roach added. Our police will be working with new equipment and we will be looking for data on that as well.

So it was quite a challenge for Cyberkar to tackle a project of this nature with all that that would entail in terms of research and development.

“We had to bring back parts that we wouldn’t normally have to do,” said Jonathan Boivin, director of business development at Cyberkar.

He also explained to us to illustrate the challenge that “in an electric vehicle, the battery is not necessarily made to recharge the auxiliary equipment”, while in a police car, it is necessary to ensure the provision of this auxiliary equipment.

The new electric patrol car will also have contrast colors for better visibility. The idea of ​​using a European-style chessboard, also called Battenburg signs, while adapting it to the North American context, is on the table.

“If our car is seen more, the behavior of the road around that car will change, Mr. Roche analyzes. And if we are able to change the perception, it is the overall behavior that we will adopt.”

cost

The City of Repentigny awarded a $134,520.75 contract last July to Cyberkar for preparatory studies related to component conversion and development.

“It’s a multi-year contract, but it’s difficult to determine the total cost of the vehicle,” explained Stéphanie Fortier, City’s organizational performance consultant, adding that grant applications had been made in order to reduce the amount of the bill.