Cops recruit the all-electric i MiEV

Forget the Taser®, Britain's cops have got another electrifying weapon in their battle against crime the all-electric Mitsubishi i MiEV.

Along with cracking down on crime, police forces across the UK will also be cleaning up the streets of CO2 emissions.

With a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 81mph, Mitsubishi says the i MiEV is the ideal vehicle for urban policing duties.

The i MiEV in full police livery was showcased at the National Police Show in September, where it attracted plenty of interest from UK police constabularies.

Since then, Mitsubishi Motors has been inundated with requests from UK Police Forces to trial the i MiEV.

Mitsubishi's managing director, Lance Bradley, said: 'The i MiEVs have been in the UK on trial for almost a year now and we are delighted that police forces are able to see that the future of zero-emissions driving requires no compromise.'

What would Starsky have said? Click here for larger versionThe first full-production i MiEVs arrive in the UK in November 2009 and will be on the road in December 2009, with West Midlands Police being the first force to run the vehicle in full operational use.

How does the i MiEV match up?
So, what were the alternatives that our cops could have chosen? Here are some of the slightly more flamboyant police cars on offer.

Lotus Esprit S4
Norfolk's finest doing its bit for the community.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
This police car was built to promote road safety apparently.

TechArt Porsche 997
Perfect for prowling the autobahns.

Brabus CLS Rocket
Be afraid, criminals, if you see this 730bhp 225mph law-enforcer in your rear-view mirror.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Italian cops have up to 203mph at their disposal with this beast on the beat.