Probably reluctant to use the electric cars because they can only go 80-100 miles on a charge, and have to be returned to BMW at the end of the lease.
Most of the electric cars have only been used for a few thousand miles. And a handful are sitting in the garage with only a few hundred on them.
Like one in service since may 27, 2016, with just 400 miles on it! Evidently, these were too many cars, with no useful purpose, except to make the mayor look "green", progressive, and forward thinking. Just a 10 million dollar narcissistic play for publicity he doesn't need? Likely.
For that 10 million, don't you think they could have patched a lot of pot holes around LA?!
The commanding officer of LAPD fiscal operations, Annemarie Sauer, used the department’s electric BMW and stopped at an elementary school in long beach, which is outside the city of LA. She stayed there for almost an hour. Then she parked the car a few blocks away outside this nail salon.
I bet if forced to explain what official law enforcement business brought her to her nail salon, and he kids school, she'd have nothing to offer that would honestly provide a reason.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018/01/16/goldstein-investigation-10-million-lapd-electric-bmws-appear-unused-misused/
Thanks to Dick and Jenni Froemming
That really don't make any sense. Not because those are electric cars, that's good and I have no problem with them. They will spread and push out the fuel based cars in the future, that's inevitable. And the city that had a type of smog named after it, well everything that lower it is good.
ReplyDeleteThe problem I have is with type of car they pick. BMW i3 is a nice car, look good and have good specs. For a ordinary city driver. This is not material for a Police car, it's too slow to chase anyone, too small to be secure enough in a detainee transport. PD need a car, electric or not that can do a PD job. BMW i3 is not that car. As you write, they don't know what to do with it. This is IMO example of "buy stuff just to buy stuff". Car is cool, reasons to buy 300 for PD, absolutely stupid.
the city put out a contract, BMW won it. I doubt the police dept asked for or wanted them, I suspect it was a political move on the mayors part, as he tries to win brownie points on his lead up to a governor's election campaign, or presidential campaign.
DeleteYou're absolutely right, the BMW electric car isn't any use to the LAPD
I'd like to see the competition for this contract. The Chevy Bolt MSRP cost is typically $4000.00 less than the i3, (not sure what that would mean for a lease) it has over a 200 mile range and is made in Michigan, not Leipzig. My cynical side says someone in the LA Mayor's office got a big old payoff for awarding this contract. These are supposed to be basic transportation for city employees, nothing more, ten million dollars would have bought over 500 Ford Focus' outright. My cynicism also comes into play when I hear of the low usage. I doubt its range, I think the i3 is such a highly recognizable vehicle that no one wants to use it for the things that government cars usually get used for, which is getting your kids from school, and going to get your nails done, etc. etc. etc. If anyone in the LAPD had a lick of sense, they'd announce that it is evident that due to the low usage of their fleet they will be reducing the number of vehicles.
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