North Rhine-Westphalia: Discontinued model: Police have to replace Ford patrol cars

The police in North Rhine-Westphalia probably didn't think so: Introduced three years ago, the Ford "S-Max" is already a discontinued model.

North Rhine-Westphalia: Discontinued model: Police have to replace Ford patrol cars

The police in North Rhine-Westphalia probably didn't think so: Introduced three years ago, the Ford "S-Max" is already a discontinued model. Thousands of patrol cars will have to be replaced in the coming years.

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - The NRW police are now driving a discontinued model as a patrol car: Because Ford no longer offers the "S-Max" with a diesel engine, the first cars will soon have to be exchanged for another model. This was confirmed by the responsible State Office for Central Police Services (LZPD) of the German Press Agency.

Three years ago, the Ford "S-Max" was introduced as a patrol car alongside the Mercedes "Vito" minibus. Before that, the police drove a BMW. The first 390 cars will have to be replaced in autumn 2023 - due to daily use, patrol cars are usually discarded after four years. Since the "S-Max" cannot be reordered, the corresponding cars will be replaced by the "Vito" according to the LZPD.

The replacement will cost nearly 20 million euros, according to the Interior Ministry's budget. According to a spokesman for the LZPD, Mercedes has promised to deliver on time. It is unclear what will happen afterwards: Thousands of Ford patrol cars will have to be replaced by 2025.

The police union (GdP) calls on the Ministry of the Interior to take action quickly: "The police cannot rely on the Mercedes "Vito" alone, we need a mix," said GdP-NRW boss Michael Mertens. Because: "The Mercedes is a great vehicle, but it doesn't help in some applications. The "Vito" as a minibus doesn't fit into many car parks and isn't suitable for narrow streets or forest paths."

Mertens is calling for a new "roadshow" in which - like last time - several car models will be tested in everyday police use. Electric cars are now also a conceivable option for patrol duty. According to the LZPD, the police in NRW has a fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles.