Handed over at the government-backed eDRIVE electric vehicle event held in Belfast recently, the vehicle is being trialled to see whether its drivetrain is suitable for use on fleet. Northern Ireland also has a well-developed recharging infrastructure, with electric vehicle owners never more than ten miles from a charging point.

Marcus Belshaw, Head of Transport for PSNI, said: ‘We’re looking forward to putting the revolutionary Ampera through its paces responding to incidents while also reducing our emissions and providing significant savings on fuel costs.’

Vauxhall demonstrated the potential for an Ampera-based police car at last year’s Association of Chief Police Officers conference, and a Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust also recently began a long-term pilot with the vehicle. The mechanically similar Chevrolet Volt is already being used by the New York Police Department.