Electric police cars to charge up at bus depot

A police force has started charging its growing fleet of electric vehicles at a bus depot, following a partnership agreement.

First Bus said new, high-power charging infrastructure at its Basildon depot can charge Essex Police's vehicles in as little as 20 minutes.

The force said 50 of its 800-strong fleet of vehicles will become electric this year, which will require a more reliable way of charging.

Essex Police said it was "committed to reducing the environmental impact of our fleet while continuing to catch criminals and keep people safe across Essex".

Essex Police said it began transitioning vehicles to electric in 2022, initially using the public charging network.

Jason Tyrrell, acting head of fleet at Essex Police, said access to suitable charging infrastructure was "essential" as it continued its long-term ambition to decarbonise its fleet, which the force says it aims to complete by 2035 "in line with government targets".

The force, which currently has 41 electric vehicles, has partnered with First Charge - the third-party electric vehicle charging initiative from First Bus, which has 15 charging locations across the UK.

Andy Gwilliam, head of product at First Charge, said it was more cost-effective than relying on public charging, especially for fleets requiring regular, high-power charging, and helped to free up public charge points for members of the public.

"This partnership with Essex Police demonstrates how shared charging infrastructure can support the decarbonisation of essential public services while enabling organisations to transition their fleets at a pace that is both operationally and financially sustainable," he added.

Essex Police told the BBC the partnership was predominantly for its vehicles in the south of Essex, with discussions ongoing "with other potential partners in the north of the county".

A spokesperson for the force added that it had a commercial agreement with a charging supplier for the electricity used, "rather than installing our own charging points which would be logistically challenging and prohibitively expensive".

The First Bus facility at Cherrydown Way in Basildon became the first fully electric bus depot in Essex in November thanks to more than £30m in funding.

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