She's electric! Gardai trying out green cars to fight crime
It is on display today at the Garda's stand at the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin.
The zero-emissions vehicle is already being used by police forces in the UK, Switzerland and the Gulf region.
The environmentally-friendly cars are ideal for urban policing such as in cities or large towns - and also help to improve overall air quality.
Its compact size and tight turning ability make it suitable for crowded streets.
As with all electric cars, the i3 also operates quietly and brings very low per-mile operating costs.
The Garda Twitter account said: "Charged and on Trial!! In association with BMW Ireland, An Garda Síochána will pilot a BMW i3 (with range extender) in the coming months as a first step to explore to opportunities and practical implications of electric vehicles."
https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/951420403834028033
The car can reach speeds of 0 to 30 mph in 3.5 seconds.
It gets up to 81 miles per charge while the BMW i3 with Range Extender gets up to 150 miles in total range.