The Australian Government has announced electric vehicles that will replace internal combustion engine vehicles in its COMCAR fleet.
The BMW iX xDrive40 and xDrive50 will replace the current BMW 6 Series GT fleet and Hybrid car Toyota Camry from mid-2023 when they end their lease.
The government says the new iX team will be fully deployed by mid-2024.
The COMCAR fleet is used to carry out tasks such as transporting MPs and important figures, and for many years Holden Caprice has been used.
COMCAR currently leases 92 BMW 620d GTs and 45 Toyota Camry hybrids, which will be added to the fleet in 2020. Vehicles are typically leased for three.
With the Australian Government planning to switch its fleet to electric vehicles, no internal combustion engine vehicles will be considered for this COMCAR mission.
COMCAR initially assessed 40 plug-in hybrid and battery-powered vehicles, reducing the list to 14 EVs for a preliminary physical assessment.
Only nine vehicles were then selected for “real-world terrain assessment on closed loops and on-road assessment under normal COMCAR operating situations”.
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Tesla Model Y -
BMW iX3 -
Electric Genesis GV70 -
pole star 2
These include the BMW iX and iX3; the Genesis GV60 And GV70 electrified; the Hyundai ioniq 5; KIA EV6; pole star 2; And Tesla Model 3 And Model Y.
These assessments provided COMCAR with a wide range of responses, with input also coming from the Australian Federal Police and the Prime Minister’s and Cabinet Offices.
Most of the iX fleet will be xDrive40 models, although “a small number” of xDrive50 models will be offered “for long-range driving conditions”.
Under the Commonwealth Fleet’s Vehicle Selection Policy, the new COMCAR fleet is required to include low or zero emissions vehicles, with a five-star ANCAP rating, that can meet the requirements ” at least ‘fit for purpose'”.
It also calls for vehicles that offer “value for money, including consideration of environmental impacts and climate change”.
The COMCAR team said: “While it will cost more initially to introduce electric vehicles into the COMCAR fleet than comparable ICE vehicles, savings in operating costs, including fuel, are expected. and maintenance”.
“COMCAR is introducing EV charging capabilities at each state depot to support new EV fleet operations and avoid putting additional pressure on the public EV charging infrastructure.”
The 620d GT retails for $102,900 before it goes on sale in 2020, while the iX xDrive40 is currently $135,900 before on-road and the xDrive50 costs $180,400 before on-road.
BMW has proved popular with government fleets.
In 2014, the 7 Series became the official vehicle of the Prime Minister, along with the armored X5s.
