Vauxhall Demonstrates Crime-Fighting EREV

Vauxhall demonstrates an extended-range electric vehicle for law-enforcement agencies using cutting-edge crime-fighting technology that could be introduced into active police service by 2015.

The General Motors subsidiary showcased the ’12 Ampera EREV, a version of the Chevrolet Volt, in police livery and loaded with the latest policing equipment at the Home Office’s Center of Applied Science and Technology stand at a police and security conference held in Farnborough, U.K.

The Opel/Vauxhall Ampera, on the short list for both World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year, has four external-mounted cameras for evidence-gathering and an internal camera for facial recognition linked to the Police National Database.

The standard Ampera display screen is modified to provide all information now available to police officers, including automatic number-plate recognition. A passenger can access all police information on a second screen mounted on the sun visor.

The EREV also has new police software loaded with previous incidents and historic data that is run through complex algorithms to predict potential crime hotspots.

Under Secretary of State for Crime and Security James Brokenshire was given an in-depth demonstration of the Ampera’s crime-fighting technology by Chief Supt. Jim Hammond of the Association of Chief Police Officers Intelligent Transport Systems.

Vauxhall won a competition run by the ACPO ITS to demonstrate the electric vehicle.

“We are delighted to have won the ACPO ITS competition and are excited to have displayed the fittingly groundbreaking Ampera featuring this array of cutting-edge equipment,” Vauxhall Special Vehicles Manager Dick Ellam says in a statement.