BMW says their designers looked into how current patrols function, especially drawing inspiration from the relationship between a patrol officer and a cop canine.
The are two important elements to the design of the ePatrol. One, a modular structure and two, drone technology. The idea is to enhance both teamwork and accessibility. The main structure of the ePatrol can deploy three drones of which one is capable of flight (FPU – Flying Pursuit Unit) and the other two (APU – Advanced Pursuit Unit) are land based. The top drone above the main structure is the flying drone, while the other two are one wheel vehicles attached to the rear. The patrol officer in the car can deploy either of the drones to track the suspect in pursuit situations where heavy traffic holds back the patrol vehicle. The APU drones have bulletproof covers that are capable of using the heat from the highway to provide power to the APU engine. BMW calls this tech of the future Skin Energy Recovery System. The other body panels on the ePatrol use the same tech to power the patrol vehicle of the year 2025. BMW stresses that even when all three drones are activated, the main structure can continue to function normally. If you have played the Need for Speed franchise of games, you know a patrol vehicle isn’t complete without EMP. All drones can send an electromagnetic pulse to another vehicle to disable it. As you would expect, the design team worked to create powerful stance with an aerodynamic aesthetic and flowing lines.
BMW says the interior design was inspired by a woven structure made of aluminum wire inside carbon fibre and polymer resin. The seats form a significant connection between driver and the vehicle architecture. As you would expect from a vehicle of the future all interfaces are touch based. There are no windows on this car to ensure the greatest levels of protection for the occupants. A large screen takes the place of a windshield. On the exterior the space normally taken up by a windshield is used to display critical information such as accidents or route information to the public.
