NZ police select Skoda to supply new cop cars as Holden rolls into sunset
Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Police have selected Czech manufacturer Skoda to supply their new frontline patrol cars as the Holden brand drives off into the sunset.
In a Wednesday morning statement, New Zealand Police announced it had 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 Holdens and Fords from across the ditch, it was confident management had made the right call.
The move comes after General Motors announced the end of the Holden brand and police were forced to hunt for a new preferred vehicle supplier.
**READ MORE:
* Police pick new motorbikes as hunt continues for next patrol car
* Audit reveals new tech tools in police's digital armoury
* Auckland police shooting: Police community and country reeling after officer's death
**
They went to the industry with a request for proposals in July and the tender closed on August 21.
Police commissioner Andy Coster cited the reduced environmental impact of the Czech cars as one reason they were chosen. Electric and hybrid vehicles were considered but did not make the cut due to performance issues.
“With more than 2000 primary response vehicles currently in action, selecting a new supplier provides an important opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and ensure value for money across our fleet,” he said.
They have chosen station wagons instead of sedans due to their greater flexibility, his statement said.
Two models of Skoda will be deployed, a 162kW two-wheel-drive and a 206kW four-wheel-drive version.
Police expect to deploy the first batch of Skodas in April 2021.
Coster's statement said the two models stood out as the “ideal primary response vehicles” throughout the tender process.
“Frontline staff said they handled well, and they felt confident and safe driving the vehicle.”
“They liked the large doors with a wide opening range, easy-to-read instruments, front and rear visibility, and the spaciousness of the rear passenger area.”
Rear-seat capacity has been a sore point for police in recent years.
Police were forced to remove their new Holden Commodore ZB liftbacks from frontline duties in 2019 due to health and safety issues caused by a lack of headroom in their back seats, and replace them with station wagons.
During their procurement process police received submissions from seven suppliers offering 27 different vehicles.
Twelve vehicles made the shortlist and underwent a testing process.
“When all criteria were considered the two Skoda Superb models ranked the highest,” the police statement said.
Police association president Chris Cahill said he was confident police had been through a rigorous procurement process and had made the right choice.
Frontline staff had been part of that process and Cahill said he was pleased safety was a key factor in the Skoda’s selection.
The fact the Czech manufacturer was selected indicated police had assessed the car’s on their merits rather than choosing the cheap or easy option, Cahill said.
“I don't think anybody would have expected Skoda to be the obvious choice.”
Coster’s statement said electric and hybrid vehicles were considered as part of the process but limitations like power efficiency and the overall cost of ownership precluded their selection.
“While incredibly promising, electric and hybrid technology are not yet a viable option for our patrol vehicles.
“However, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and have outlined a ten-year plan to an emissions-free fleet.”
Skoda models including the Superb and Octavia are frequently used by emergency services in Europe, including in Austria, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
“If Skoda are a preferred manufacturer across Europe they must be doing something right,' Cahill said.
The Skodas have lower CO2 emissions when compared with the average across the police fleet.
Patrol vehicles will be replaced as they reach the end of their useful life, at a rate of about 400 per year, police said.
Holden dealerships will remain in New Zealand to service the vehicles for about the next decade.
Patrol cars are considered for replacement at an age of six or seven years, or once they reach 120,000km.
Police said their evaluation criteria included radio interference, performance and brake testing.
“Non-price attributes (such as emissions and service capability) accounted for 20 per cent of the weighting, physical testing accounted for 40 per cent (such as road testing), and the total cost of ownership accounted for the final 40 per cent.
Czech car brand Skoda offers a range of vehicles for emergency services.
There had been speculation German manufacturer BMW could be a strong contender given it manufactures a range of purpose-built vehicles for law enforcement and are used by police in Australia.