Tesla built its own Model 3-based police car to test the UK emergency vehicle market

Tesla has reportedly built its own police car based on the Model 3 electric sedan in the United Kingdom, and it plans to use it to test the UK emergency vehicle market.

There are already plenty of Tesla police cars out there. Many police departments have done the math and figured out that they could save a lot of money by upgrading their fleets to Tesla vehicles, especially the Model 3.

We previously reported on the Bargersville Police Department in Indiana, which purchased several Tesla Model 3 vehicles. It found after the first full year of using the Tesla Model 3, they had already saved over $6,000.

Fremont Police and the Spokane Police Department have both also recently acquired Tesla Model Y vehicles to use as police patrol vehicles.

But with these projects, the police departments buy the vehicles from Tesla and have them modified to fit their needs as patrol cars.

In this case, Tesla has apparently built the police vehicle itself and plans to offer it for testing to emergency services across the UK [via Auto Express]:

Tesla UK has revealed a police liveried Model 3 saloon fitted with blues-and-twos, which the company says will be available to emergency services across the UK for trial and assessment.

Here’s the vehicle that Tesla unveiled:

The automaker didn’t reveal any specs for the new vehicle, but it looks like it could be a Model 3 Performance.

With over 300 miles of range, a top speed of 162 mph, and an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds, it should more than fit the needs of a patrol car.

In recent years, the Model 3 has become the best-selling electric car in the UK and at times, even the best-selling car, period.

However, there have not been any reported Model 3s used as police vehicles.

A handful of police departments in the UK have started to acquire electric vehicles, but to date, they’ve mainly been Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s.