World News – AU – NZ police select Skoda to deliver new patrol cars as Holden rolls into the sunset

The police have selected Czech manufacturer Skoda to deliver their new patrol cars to the front lines while the Holden brand drives into the sunset.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, New Zealand police announced that they have selected the Skoda Superb as the new frontline police car.

The police union said while the Czech brand might come as a surprise after decades of holding Holdens and Fords out of the ditch, they are confident that management made the right call.

The move came after General Motors announced the end of the Holden brand and forced the police to find a new preferred vehicle supplier.

READ MORE: * Police select new motorcycles as the hunt for the nearest patrol car continues. * The audit reveals new technical aids in the police digital armory. * Auckland Police Shootout: Police community and country reel after officer dies.

You went out with a call for proposals in the industry in July, and the call was opened on Jan.. Completed August.

Police Commissioner Andy Coster cited the lower environmental impact of Czech cars as one of the reasons for their choice. Electric and hybrid vehicles were considered but could not be cut due to performance issues.

« With more than 2000 vehicles currently in service, choosing a new supplier is an important opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions and ensure value for money for our fleet, » he said.

You have chosen station wagons instead of sedans because of their greater flexibility, it says in its statement.

Two Skoda models are used, a 162 kW two-wheel drive and a 206 kW all-wheel drive version.

Coster’s statement said that the two models stood out as the « ideal primary response vehicles » throughout the entire tendering process.

« The frontline workers said they handled well and felt safe and secure driving the vehicle. ”

“They liked the large doors with large opening areas, easy-to-read instruments, front and rear visibility, and the spaciousness of the rear passenger compartment. ”

The police had to remove their new Holden Commodore ZB liftbacks from front duty in 2019 due to health and safety issues due to a lack of headroom in the rear seats and replace them with station wagons.

« When all the criteria were taken into account, the two Skoda Superb models received the highest rating, » the police statement said.

Police Association President Chris Cahill said he was confident the police had gone through a rigorous procurement process and made the right choice.

Frontline workers were part of that process, and Cahill said he was pleased that safety was a key factor in choosing the Skoda.

The fact that the Czech manufacturer was selected indicated that the police had judged the car on its merits rather than going for the cheap or simple option, Cahill said.

Coster’s statement is that electric and hybrid vehicles were viewed as part of the process, but limitations such as energy efficiency and total cost of ownership precluded their selection.

“While incredibly promising, electric and hybrid technology are not yet a viable option for our patrol cars.

“However, we are committed to reducing our CO2 emissions and have drawn up a ten-year plan for an emission-free fleet. ”

Skoda models, including the Superb and Octavia, are widely used by emergency services in Europe, including Austria, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

« If Skoda is a preferred manufacturer across Europe, they have to be doing something right, » said Cahill.

The Skodas have lower CO2 emissions compared to the average of the entire police fleet.

Patrol vehicles will be replaced at the end of their useful life at a rate of around 400 per year, police said.

Holden dealers will remain in New Zealand to service the vehicles for about the next decade.

Patrol cars are used when they are six or seven years old, or after they reach 120. 000 km considered as a replacement.

« Non-pricing attributes (like emissions and serviceability) made up 20 percent of the weight, physical tests made up 40 percent (like road tests), and total cost of ownership made up the final 40 percent.

There has been speculation that German manufacturer BMW could be a strong competitor as it makes a range of purpose-built law enforcement vehicles and is used by police in Australia.

Škoda Auto, New Zealand Police, Holden, Škoda Superb, Police Car