LoginThe Least Scary Police Car Ever? You Can Thank DEI (But Not That One)
- A group of ten Fiat 500e models has joined the Greek police force in Athens..
- The electric hatch sports a police livery, strobe lights, and a 117 hp motor.
- The small EV has a rear suicide door on one side for easier access to the backseat.
Over the years, police forces have adopted vehicles from nearly every segment imaginable. While some divisions require fast pursuit cars, others need smaller, more nimble vehicles to maneuver through busy urban areas. The Greek police recently received 10 fully electric Fiat 500e units, now patrolling the narrow streets of Athens.
These EVs were gifted to the Greek police by DEI (Public Electric Power Corporation), which, despite sharing its name with the buzzword-heavy acronym for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is actually just about ensuring your car stays charged, not that it’s inclusive of all power sources. Along with the cars, DEI also threw in 36 charging stations, proving they’re really invested in making sure the only thing running low in this partnership is the battery.
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Naturally, the Fiat 500e now sports the classic Greek police livery, complete with iridescent blue decals on its white body and strobe lights atop the roof. The headlight graphics and hubcaps hint that this is the base-spec model, not the fully-loaded La Prima trim.
What is interesting, is that the procurement department chose the Fiat 500e 3+1 bodystyle, which features an additional rear-hinged door on the passenger side. While Fiat initially designed this asymmetrical layout for easier access to the backseat for young families, in this case, it may prove more useful for transporting suspects, provided they can squeeze into the tiny Fiat, of course.
Not Exactly a Pursuit Car
The 500e police cars are equipped with the standard electric motor, delivering 117 horsepower (87 kW / 118 PS) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque. This setup allows the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in 9 seconds, which should be more than adequate for urban patrols. If performance were the top priority, however, the fleet might have included at least one Abarth 500e.
More importantly, the 42 kWh battery pack offers a WLTP range of 321 km (199 miles) between charges, or up to 460 km (286 miles) in urban environments. In our review of the 500e, we noticed that real-life range is closer to 260 km (162 miles), but even this will be more than enough for patrolling the city center of the Greek capital.
Not the Slowest Greek Police Car
Surprisingly, the Fiat 500e isn’t the smallest or slowest vehicle in the Greek police fleet. That dubious honor goes to the Citroen Ami, a heavy quadricycle that’s been cycling patrolling the streets of Chalki Island since late 2021, as part of a sustainable mobility initiative.
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Beyond the electric vehicles, Greek police officers have access to a broad range of cars, from the Seat Leon and Hyundai i30 to the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, and Peugeot 308. They also have a variety of larger vehicles, including the Nissan Navara and Skoda Octavia.
Recent additions to the police fleet with a performance-focused character include the Hyundai i30 N and Cupra Leon VZ hot hatches, designed for performing highway pursuits and tackling illegal street racing.
Despite its role as the electric flagship for Fiat, the 500e has not been the sales success that Stellantis had hoped for. As a result, Fiat has shifted focus, moving away from an all-EV lineup and introducing a mild-hybrid version, the 500 Ibrida, which is expected to debut later this year. Additionally, Fiat has confirmed that a new generation of the 500 will arrive in 2032, with production set to take place at their Mirafiori plant in Italy.
