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Barcelona renews Guardia Urbana motorcycles with more electric models
The Guardia Urbana is preparing to renew its motorcycle fleet in Barcelona. The City Council will allocate 314,000 euros to purchase and adapt more than twenty vehicles, with a clear focus on electric models and new requirements for range, equipment, and maintenance.
The tender includes four trail-type electric motorcycles with police markings, 18 unmarked electric maxi-scooters and two large-capacity petrol motorcycles. They will join a fleet that already numbers around 600 vehicles and is key to patrolling areas where cars are less agile.
The motorcycles will not go straight from the dealership to the streets. The successful bidder will have to convert them for police use, install the necessary equipment, legalise the modifications and handle registration and documentation. Before the final supply, it must also present one pilot unit of each model so that the City Council can verify that it meets the requirements.
The specifications vary according to the type of vehicle. The electric trail motorcycles must deliver at least 30 kW of power and offer 140 kilometres of urban range. The maxi-scooters will need at least 11 kW and a range of up to 200 kilometres, with maximum consumption set at 10 kWh per 100 kilometres.
The two petrol units must have four-stroke twin-cylinder engines, liquid cooling and a maximum output of 56 CV. Their consumption may not exceed 4.2 litres per 100 kilometres. All the motorcycles will also have an auxiliary battery intended to power the installed police devices.
The contract also focuses on durability. The planned warranties will range from three to five years, and the supplier will have to ensure the availability of spare parts for at least a decade, a particularly important condition for vehicles subjected to intensive daily use.
The operation joins another recent fleet renewal through the rental of around twenty combustion-engine motorcycles, awarded for close to 900,000 euros. Those units will remain in service until they reach 57,000 kilometres, so different types of engines will coexist within the force for a time.
For local residents, the change will be more visible on the streets than in the contract figures. Motorcycles allow officers to move quickly through traffic, access narrow streets and cover incidents in different neighbourhoods. The renewal leaves the Guardia Urbana with more electric vehicles, but also with a fleet designed to withstand long hours of service without losing range or responsiveness.