Northamptonshire Police have just placed an order with innovative British company, White Motorcycle Concepts for a fleet of hybrid three-wheeled scooters.
The scooters are based on the Yamaha Tricity 300 but these are no ordinary machines. Not only have they been modified to run on battery power (as well as fossil fuel) but they also feature the patented WMC aerodynamics which help to make this machine even more economical.
The police spec WMC300FR started off as a 292cc single-cylinder four stroke but now also runs two 56V 12Ah detachable lithium-ion EGO Power+ batteries which are housed in the specially designed top box. The hybrid motor powers the scooter from a standstill, when it is most effective, then the conventional engine kicks in at 30mph, which is where the really clever part of the machine comes into effect…
Ventui Duct Technology
White Motorcycle Concepts are well known for their WMC250EV electric motorcycle which was developed for the world electric land speed record programme. The smart thing is the patented Venturi Duct technology which allows air to be forced through the chassis rather than the machine having to punch its way through the air, that ‘flow through’ technology has been incorporated into the WMC300FR police scooter (it can be seen in brown on the image above).
Made from recycled aerospace grade carbon fibre, the duct forms a hollow from front to back allowing air to escape, rather than being forced around the machine. Wheel discs also help to reduce drag. The lower aerodynamic drag ratio reduces emissions by 50% and allows the scooter to achieve 104mpg.
WMC has been working alongside British engineering innovation companies including EY3, TotalSim and Productiv as they’ve developed the WMC300FR over the past four years. The scooter costs around £14,000 in this frontline police spec and has just gone into production ready for the first of the Northamptonshire Police fleet to arrive with the force in October.
You can find out more about WMC here.
Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable & UK Police lead for Motorcycles, Nick Adderley said:
““The transport infrastructure is changing for everyone and we need to ensure we are prepared for the future with a sustainable fleet that not only meets the green agenda but also enables us to deliver the policing service our communities need and want.”
“We very much welcomed the opportunity to work with WMC in the development of this innovative and incredibly efficient vehicle for emergency service use, and I look forward to seeing the new additions to our operational fleet on the streets of Northamptonshire as we continue to fight crime and protect those living and working in our communities.”
WMC CEO Rob White added: “I am incredibly proud of the final production WMC300FR, a great deal of work has been put in by a number of great British companies to reach this point. The motorcycle has been through 12 months of further evaluation and development, where we have selected repeatable, sustainable manufacturing techniques, created a full suite of APQP documentation (including build plan) and created a motorcycle that is fit for purpose.
“The prototype was a fantastic starting point, but we have now refined this model to be more compact, incorporating new requirement-critical features and I can’t wait to see these on the streets of Northamptonshire.”
