Queensland Police Tests 5 Electric Vehicles in 12-Month Trial

Queensland Police will run five electric vehicles across five regions over the next 12 months in a comprehensive trial designed to determine whether battery power can sustain operational policing demands.

The Kia EV6 GT-Line, selected for the trial, is the Queensland Police Service's first fully electric patrol vehicle. It accelerates from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in 3.5 seconds—a performance rating that makes it the most powerful vehicle in a fleet of nearly 3,000.

The deployment builds on existing electrification efforts. More than 70 per cent of Queensland Police's sedan and SUV fleet already uses hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology, with around 80 PHEV vehicles currently in service. The five EV6s represent an expansion of that strategy rather than a replacement of existing vehicles.

The five vehicles will operate in Cairns, Nambour, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Brisbane. The geographically dispersed trial is deliberately designed to stress-test the vehicles across contrasting environments: tropical climates, mountainous terrain, regional towns and urban areas. All will be equipped for regular police duties, including carrying equipment and responding to urgent calls.

One of the five made its operational debut this week accompanying Queensland's State of Origin team. The remaining four will be fully fitted with radio, lighting and livery within two to three months.

The 12-month evaluation window spans multiple seasons, testing how battery performance responds to seasonal temperature variations and different climate zones. The Toowoomba range presents particular challenges: vehicles driving that route repeatedly throughout a shift—potentially a dozen times daily—will demonstrate how electric range performs during sustained hill driving.

Infrastructure supporting the trial includes 22-kilowatt DC chargers installed at each location. Queensland Police has substantial rooftop solar capacity and renewable energy systems at its major facilities, reducing grid dependency for charging. Most patrol vehicles don't operate around the clock, permitting overnight charging to slot naturally into scheduling.

Police leadership regards fleet electrification as inevitable. Acting Assistant Commissioner Matthew Vanderbyl noted that electric vehicle adoption is accelerating across the broader community, with policing following the same trajectory. With a fleet of nearly 3,000 vehicles, the long-term implications of that shift are substantial.

Queensland joins other Australian police services testing zero-emission vehicles. Western Australia Police recently added an electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 and a hydrogen Toyota Mirai to its fleet. NSW Police deployed an electric BMW SUV to highway patrol operations in May. Victoria Police has operated electric Teslas in highway patrol since 2019.

Results from Queensland's evaluation could influence adoption decisions among Australian police services as they assess whether electric vehicles can reliably perform in high-demand law enforcement environments.