It looks like Tesla’s own backyard is going to be patrolled by Tesla vehicles as the Fremont Police Department announced that it is converting a Tesla Model S to a patrol vehicle.
The vehicle is expected to save the department a significant amount of gasoline costs.
Tesla vehicles are becoming surprisingly popular with police departments all over the world.
Now, the police department in Fremont, where Tesla’s main factory is located, is also going to use a Tesla Model S.
They are being a little more tentative about the deployment of electric vehicles in their fleet than some other departments going electric.
While other police departments are deploying whole fleets of them, like the Basel police force modifying a fleet of 7 Tesla Model X vehicles into electric patrol vehicles, the Fremont Police Department bought a single used Model S and they plan to use the vehicle as part of a pilot program.
They bought a used 2014 TESLA Model S 85 in January 2018 for $61,478.50 (including taxes and fees) to replace a 2007 Dodge Charger that was being retired in their fleet.
The city gave them the goal to test an electric vehicle as a patrol car and after looking at the market, they determined that only Tesla’s vehicles fit the requirements.
They wrote in a press release:
“The Tesla is the only electric vehicle that met specifications for size, performance, battery range, and safety, all required for a fully deployable patrol vehicle. Tesla electric vehicles are manufactured locally in Fremont.”
The police department is currently modifying the Model S to be fitted with all the required police equipment:
They expect that the modification will cost around the same as buying a $40,000 “police package” on a Ford Explorer.
Though a Ford Explorer in their fleet would cost them “approximately $32,000 in gas and an estimated $15,000 in maintenance” over 5 years, which is the average life cycle of a police vehicle.
The Fremont police expects that “electric vehicles may be operational for longer due to less mechanical issues.”
As for charging, they already have charging stations at their facilities powered by the City’s Police Complex’s 872 kW solar carport – meaning that their Tesla patrol vehicle is going to be powered by sunlight.
Fremont Police Captain Sean Washington said about the initiative:
“The electric patrol vehicle pilot program is an extension of the City’s clean technology and smart city initiatives to help make Fremont a more sustainable community. Given that Fremont Police vehicle fleet is responsible for a total of 980 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, this program has the potential to eliminate 10 percent of all municipal greenhouse gas emissions.”
They plan to seek feedback from drivers to better evaluate if it makes sense to use those vehicles as part of their fleet.
More information will be shared as the vehicle is being prepared to hit the road.
As we previously stated, Tesla vehicles are becoming strangely popular with police departments all over the world.
In the US, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Denver Police Department are both using Model S sedans as part of their fleets.
In Europe, Scotland Yard says that it is considering the vehicle and the Luxembourg Police converted two Model S sedans to patrol cars.
The Ontario Police also recently received a brand new Model X, which they also converted to a police vehicle.
Last month, we also reported on a Tesla Model S becoming a sneaky undercover police car.
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