Manufacturers commonly sell modified production-model vehicles to local police departments. Very rarely does law enforcement have a say in the development and design of such projects. That’s not the case when it comes to White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) and Britain’s Northamptonshire Police.
Starting in 2019, the Northhamptonshire-based electric mobility brand worked alongside Chief Constable Nick Adderley to design a vehicle suitable for the department’s needs. The resulting WMC300F not only provides transport for individual officers but also meets the force’s green goals with hybrid technology and aerodynamics innovations.
White Motorcycle Concepts based the eco-friendly project on Yamaha’s Tricity 300 three-wheeler. The scooter maintains its stock 292cc single-cylinder engine, steering system, suspension, and bodywork. However, to reduce both the model’s frontal area and drag coefficient, the team incorporated its V-Duct technology throughout the chassis.
Combined with WMC’s plug-in hybrid system, which includes a 5kW electric motor and two 56V battery packs, the V-Duct lowers the Yamaha’s CO2 emissions by 50 percent.
"We are the world's first in terms of getting this machine running; in terms of a police force that has this bike,” explained Adderley. “The aerodynamics and the engineering that has gone into it has not been seen anywhere in the world."
The Constable doesn't want to hold that title for long, though. According to Northamptonshire Police, officers without a motorcycle license can also operate the WMC300F. With that roadblock removed, the hybrid three-wheeler is ripe for adoption on a global level.
"We want to promote the use of these machines far and wide,” added Adderley, “and we've had interest in these machines all over the world, but we're going to prove the concept here.”
Police forces and manufacturers seldom collaborate on vehicle development but WMC and the Northamptonshire Police prove that such a relationship can be beneficial for both parties and the community.
