Queensland Police reveals marked MG HS Plus EV plug-in hybrid patrol cars

Queensland Police has unveiled a new fleet of vehicles, including 45 plug-in hybrid MG HS Plus EVs from China.

The fleet of HS Plus EVs will be used by Police Liaison Officers (PLOs) across Queensland, with each MG featuring Indigenous Australian designs developed in consultation with First Nations artists.

Officers will have up to 63 kilometres of electric driving range – based on the lenient NEDC lab-test cycle – before the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine steps in.

The MGs are part of a program of "extreme high-visibility" patrol cars being used in Queensland communities by PLOs, which includes a fleet of Toyota Camry sedans featuring an all-new livery.

Queensland Police says it undertook a series of independent tests and evaluations to ensure the MG HS Plus EV is suitable for operations, claiming their use as an "Australian policing first".

In November 2022, Queensland announced its desire to become the first state with a fleet of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles for general policing duties.

As first reported by Drive in April 2023, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services acquired a Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle as part of a trial of battery-powered vehicles for first-responders.

Queensland Police already employ the use of hybrid models from Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Kia.

Despite the push to low- or zero-emissions vehicles, Queensland Police has been using a high-performance Holden drag car from the 1990s – complete in Highway Patrol livery – for promotional purposes.