A unique modular Australian police car would have several lives beyond its initial role as a police patrol vehicle, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-A).
In its proposal for a new Australian police car, the Asia-Pacific peak body for mobility engineers has emphasised the importance of modular design to maximise the car's versatility.
SAE-A Chairman and CEO Adrian Feeney said modular design would create a highly specialised vehicle that could serve more than one purpose in its lifetime.
"It's all in the detailed planning that happens long before a car is built," he said.
"We see the initial police car concept being built on a scalable modular architecture that is adaptable to purposes such as ambulances and other emergency service vehicles.
"Just as importantly, it would be designed to adapt perfectly for a second life as, say, a taxi – which is where a lot of the value lies.
"Unlike mass-produced cars which need major modification for specialised roles, our car would be designed for both its roles, with minimal cost and effort for each transformation."
Mr Feeney said the scalable specialised platform concept was already being used to good effect by the London EV Company in its electric London taxi and its LCV delivery van.
"As with the London tax and van, our police car platform could easily spin off a taller, longer-wheelbase vehicle, not as a van but as an ambulance," he said.
"That's a cost saving right there that can offset any lost economies of scale, and the economy continues when it's time for that police vehicle to retire.
"In many parts of the world, retired police cars have a second life as taxis, being adapted as best they can for both roles, whereas our car would be purpose built for both lives.
"Fittings for police lights, computers, radios and safety screens can all be designed to serve similar but slightly different purposes in a taxi."
Design concepts for the unique new Australian vehicle would be based on extensive and detailed research of all likely markets around the world to maximise whole-of-life value.
Mr Feeney said this research would consider not only of the end-user needs but also whether markets would take fully imported or locally assembled variants of the car.