Tokyo Police to use Honda's WN7 electric motorcycle for patrolling
Honda formally unveiled the production version of its EV Fun Concept at last year’s EICMA, marking the debut of the WN7, which is Honda’s first fully electric motorcycle. The WN7 is claimed to have a range of up to 140 kilometers for the 18 kW variant, measured at an average cruising speed of around 55 km/h, and carries a claimed top speed of 129 km/h.
Now, the WN7 has caught the attention of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, which has added the all-electric motorcycle to its fleet for patrol duties across the streets of Tokyo, which says a lot about the growing confidence in EV motorcycles for real-world law enforcement use.
Police version
According to reports, the police-spec version tips the scales at 235 kilograms or around 18 kg heavier than the unit Honda showcased at EICMA. The added weight is likely due to law-enforcement equipment such as a top box, emergency lights, and sirens.
Aside from the added equipment, the police-spec WN7 wears a white livery with official markings which is an unmistakable look synonymous with police interceptor motorcycles.
The WN7 can be recharged using a CCS2 charging port, the same fast-charging standard used by electric cars. Honda says that using a CCS2 charger can bring the battery from 20% to 80% in just 30 minutes, adding roughly 89 kilometers of range.
The WN7 can also be charged at home using a 230V AC charger that plugs into a standard household socket, requiring about 5.5 hours from 0% to 100%. For faster home charging, a dedicated wall-mounted 6kVA unit is also available, cutting the charging time to approximately 2.4 hours.
Should Honda roll out more police-spec versions of the WN7? As long as it is deployed within urban environments, this “e-bike” appears more than capable of serving as an effective patrol and even pursuit vehicle for law enforcement.
