Traffic police are getting on eco-friendly, electric bikes in the first trial of its kind across the country.
Two Maxi-Scooters will hit the streets of Portsmouth city centre to carry out patrols as part of the six-month trial.
Hampshire Police's fleet of vehicles clock up more than 15 million miles each year and the force hopes the zero-emission scooters will cut its carbon dioxide emissions.
The new battery-powered Vectrix Electric Maxi-Scooters are being tested as an alternative to traditional petrol-fuelled motorbikes for policing urban areas throughout the country.
John Bradley, the force's fleet manager, said: "We are very excited to be the first police force in the UK to enter a six-month trial... we are keen to evaluate the benefits of operating an electrically-powered scooter and hope that if the trial proves successful that it could be adopted for use in forces across the UK."
They cost 20p to charge up, have a top speed of 62mph, a range of around 68 miles and are cheap to maintain.
Inspector Roger Price, head of the force's motorcycle unit, said: "The Vectrix is an eco-friendly crime-fighting tool, enabling us to provide additional reassurance and a visible policing presence within our communities.
"We are keen to see how it performs and best meets the demands of modern-day police work."
It is the latest vehicle to be trialled by Hampshire Police in its bid to "go greener" and introduce environmentally-friendly alternatives into its fleet.
In 1994 Hampshire was the first police force in the world to trial the Ford Ecostar electric vehicle. Later that year, it became the first police force in the UK to sign up to the Government's Powershift programme and later introduced Liquid Petroleum Gas vehicles and a range of hybrids to the fleet.
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