The Swedish electric vehicle joins Singapore’s efforts toward greener policing, replacing older patrol cars.
SINGAPORE – In a significant move toward cleaner energy, the Traffic Police (TP) will add 19 electric Polestar 2 saloons to its highway patrol fleet starting in 2024. The Polestar 2, a Swedish all-electric vehicle, was selected from several international bidders in a public tender that was called in October 2022 and closed in January 2023. Other contenders included the Hyundai Ioniq 5, BYD Seal, and BMW i4.
The winning bid from Wearnes Automotive, which represents Polestar locally, amounted to $3.8 million. This includes a maintenance program over 10 years. The electric cars, which are tax-free and do not require Certificates of Entitlement, are set to replace aging highway patrol vehicles, such as the BMW 325d, Subaru WRX, and Volvo S80.
The Polestar 2 selected for this role will be the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant, offering impressive performance, including a top speed of 205 km/h and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds. With an 82kWh battery, the vehicle provides a range of approximately 470 km under regular driving conditions. This exceeds the minimum specifications laid out in the tender, which required the vehicles to achieve 100 km/h in under 8 seconds and feature a battery capacity of at least 60kWh.
The Polestar 2 will also be the first electric vehicle to sport the Traffic Police expressway patrol livery. The first cars are expected to be delivered in 2024, with the potential for the fleet to grow to 22 vehicles if an option for additional cars is exercised.
This move aligns with Singapore’s broader sustainability goals, including plans to ban new combustion engine cars by 2030 and transition to cleaner energy vehicles by 2040. The decision reflects the ongoing global trend of law enforcement agencies adopting electric vehicles (EVs). For example, Australia’s Victoria state introduced a Tesla Model X for patrol duties, and New York City ordered 184 Ford Mustang Mach-Es for its police fleet.
