In years past, LAPD patrol officers have most commonly been seen driving BMW motorcycles, Harley-Davidsons or the standard police cruiser.  Now, sources inside the department say they have started to test two different flavors of electric motorcycles.

They're more lightweight than their Harley and BMW counterparts. They are also more eco-friendly and are significantly lighter.  Officers say these bikes have been specifically designed for use by those in law enforcement.  The added bonus, they point out, is that these devices cost about $1 per day to charge.

All current price of gas considered, this can equate to tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings each year.

One local sergeant said the electric bikes are not meant to replace motorcycles that are already on the street.  Instead, they are designed to supplement the current fleet.  The green aspect of their design simply makes them that much more attractive.

The two test bikes are made by a Santa Cruz, California-based company.   The LAPD said their first course of action is to get to know them inside and out.  Technical specs will need to be verified, they said, and they want to make sure they have a full understanding of what the bikes can and can't do.

The Brammo, for example, could potentially get up to 120 miles after one single charge.  LAPD officials, though, are concerned that this estimate is based on it being driven in the most optimal of conditions.  On the flip side of that coin, it could get as few of 56 miles on one charge.

The overall mileage will be dependent o the weight of the driver, whether they tend to accelerate quickly or at a steady pace, if they spend a lot of time idling still while surveying traffic, or if it is being driven heavily.   There's a lot of things that could impact how far that one charge will go.

When the battery runs low, the bike can reportedly be plugged into any standard wall outlet.  The recharge in this case will often take several hours.  On the other hand, if they plug the device into an outlet at a commercial charging station, the motorcycle could be "fully refueled" in less than 60 minutes.

An LAPD spokesperson said the motorcycles are not cheap.  The first model retails at just over $25,000 per unit.  Cost estimates for the second bike were not immediately available.  Some say this is way too much money to spend on a single device.  Others point out that this out of pocket is pretty much the only expense the bike really have, because it won't ever need to be filled with gas.

Ongoing maintenance costs are also lower, according to the manufacturer.   This also needs to be taken into consideration.

The LAPD said they will not be making any final decisions in the near future.  For now, they are simply looking into long term options when it comes to supplementing their fleet.

Officers have said that regardless as to what that timeline is, they're excited to be testing out these cool new toys.