Qld police roll out Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicles to replace Camrys

Hybrid police vehicles are being rolled out across Queensland ti replace the service’s ageing fleet of Camrys.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie and Police Minister Dan Purdie unveil the new fleet of RAV4 police cars. Picture: Liam Kidston

Frontline police officers across Queensland will soon be driving freshly kitted out cars as part of a major rollout to replace a fleet of retiring Toyota Camrys.

A total of 400 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicles will be deployed across the state over the next three to four years, with the first 15 to be deployed to each police district in the next few months.

Bolstered safety features on the fit-for-purpose RAV4s include custom-made driver protection screens, specialist lighting systems, and an improved weapons safe.

The new cars will come in blue, silver, and white and are fitted with specially designed pursuit lightbars that synchronise with flash patterns across other emergency vehicles.

According to Queensland police, the old fleet of general-duties Toyota Camrys had reached their use-by date, and the new model was picked for its speed, reliability and ease of maintenance.

The rollout has been 12 months in the making. It is expected the old fleet will be fully replaced within three to four years.

Police Minister Dan Purdie said the vehicles were an integral piece of policing equipment often used as an “office on wheels” by general duties officers.

“Ensuring they have the latest technology and mod cons will mean frontline police are better equipped do their jobs from the road,” he said.