Gloucestershire Constabulary is preparing to welcome 75 new fully-electric vehicles to its fleet over the coming weeks, giving Gloucestershire a larger percentage of fully-electric vehicles in its fleet than any other force in the UK.

The electric vehicles will make up 21 per cent of Gloucestershire's entire fleet, and will contain both Nissan cars and vans. The move is part of a commitment by Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl to A Green and Pleasant County, ensuring that Gloucestershire Constabulary operates in a way which is as responsible and sustainable as possible.

While none of the vehicles will be used as response vehicles, the majority will be used by local investigation teams, to help to deliver savings of almost 190 tonnes of Co2 per year. Eleven of the vehicles will be fully marked up as traditional police cars with 'zero emission' labelling. They will also help to save money for the force, with estimated savings of over £138,000 per year as a result of decreased fuel costs and savings to servicing, in comparison to diesel vehicles.

Gloucestershire Constabulary expects the delivery of 65 fully-electric cars and 10 fully-electric vans by the end of April 2020. Forty four additional charge points have been fitted around various police buildings in Gloucestershire to ensure the vehicles are always operational.

Gloucestershire's large fleet is outnumbered only by the Metropolitan Police, which has 546 eco-vehicles in its fleet - a figure achieved through a combination of hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell and fully-electric vehicles. However, with 21 per cent of Gloucestershire's fleet made up of fully-electric vehicles, it has the highest percentage of fully-electric vehicles of any force in the country.

Martin Sure, Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "The purchase of these new vehicles is a huge step forward for the constabulary to reduce its carbon and pollution, and meets part of my commitment to A Green and Pleasant County that was outlined in my Police and Crime Plan. It's a journey we've been on for five years and is part of a long-term commitment by my office to ensure our environment is considered at every opportunity.

"The new fleet will save a considerable amount of Co2 and money, giving Gloucestershire a larger percentage of fully-electric vehicles in its fleet than any other force. I hope the constabulary will be able to build on this great work, and extend its electric fleet to 40 per cent within the next four years."

Speaking of the achievement by Gloucestershire Constabulary, Ben Fogle, Go Ultra Low ambassador, broadcaster,  writer and adventurer, said: "I'd like to congratulate Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl and Gloucestershire Constabulary for incorporating these electric vehicles into the fleet.

"With over 50 models available, there's now an electric vehicle to suit all motoring needs - no less those of a police force! It's encouraging to see different organisations using electric vehicles to reduce their environmental impact and I hope to see others follow suit as they work towards their sustainability goals."

Tim Anderson, head of transport at Energy Saving Trust, said: "Gloucestershire Constabulary is the first force to achieve the milestone of a 21 per cent fully-electric fleet. This is a great achievement and an important example, leading the way for other forces, proving that even in fleets requiring a high level of operational resilience, electric vehicles can work. Energy Saving Trust has supported several police forces on their journey towards electrification and can provide a funded fleet review to organisations to assist with the business case for electric vehicles."

Gloucestershire Constabulary is the only force in the country to hold the environmental certification ISO 14001 - the international standard for environment management systems, which was awarded to the force in 2007, and has been recertified four times, with the most recent in February 2019.