England’s roads agency National Highways has begun trialling the Hyundai Ioniq 9 as a full traffic officer vehicle.
The trial has seen four cars converted from their standard seven-seat passenger specification to see how the electric SUV handles full front-line duties on the country’s motorway and trunk road network.
During the trial National Highways’ officers will assess how well suited the large SUV is to their daily operations, along with its suitability for equipment integration, range and charging performance.
The Ioniq 9 has one of the biggest batteries of any EV on sale in the UK, with a 110.3kWh unit offering up to 385 miles of range in standard passenger form. The trial will assess how the additional kit used by the agency’s frontline teams affects that range, as well as testing the 233kW ultra-rapid charging.
Along with its long range and fast charging, the Ioniq 9 has been selected for appraisal thanks to its massive 908 litre luggage capacity in five-seat configuration.
The cars were converted by Richell Vehicle Conversions (RVC), with each vehicle finished in National Highways livery, complete with high-visibility decals, emergency lighting and the full suite of on-board equipment that Traffic Officers rely on when responding to incidents and supporting road users.
The conversion incorporates a dedicated 240Ah lithium auxiliary battery system to power the emergency warning suite. This is built around a lightbar, a 100W bullhorn and an extensive array of amber and red warning LEDs, alongside further lighting on the wing mirrors, rear screen and tailgate, plus a flip-up Standby Traffic Commander matrix board for incident messaging. RVC also engineered a bespoke load-carrying system to house the radio, Inseego telematics and CCTV equipment.
Ashley Andrew, president of Hyundai UK, said: “This trial demonstrates Ioniq 9’s capability in demanding real-world roles, combining zero-emission performance, practicality and rapid charging to support National Highways’ vital work.”
