LAPD chose BMW i3 cars after a competitive bid, opting for a three-year lease, enabling it to replace 100 fleet vehicles instead of the original 36.

The new arrivals bring the City’s total number of EVs to 168, giving Los Angeles the largest fully battery-powered municipal fleet in the United States, according to LAPD.

The new EVs will be part of LAPD’s motor pool, which is largely used by the civilian work force for meetings or site visits, as well as by sworn officers on routine assignments.

The vehicles have been added in line with Mayor Garcetti’s Sustainable City Plan, which requires that at least half of all new City vehicles be electric.

“Every sector should be migrating to green technology — and these new EVs show how local government can lead,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Our sustainability plan pushes L.A. to speed adoption of greener practices and technologies, which also save money and resources. If LAPD can do it, so can everyone else.”

The deal also includes maintenance as well as training and certification of LAPD mechanics on electric vehicles.

By opting to lease instead of purchase the 100 EVs, LAPD also was able to buy and install 104 charging stations.

“Electric vehicle procurement made sense for taxpayers and for the environment,” said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. “The charging stations we bought will power many more electric vehicles in the future, for much less than the price of gas. Every dollar we save from lower maintenance will go back into law enforcement to keep our city safe. And while our new electric cars will be used only for non-emergency purposes, we will continue to monitor and test new generations of vehicles for their potential to serve as patrol cars.”