California City Unveils Nation's First All Electric Vehicle Police Fleet

California

By Associated Press

Published 11 months ago on

July 30, 2024

South Pasadena is the first U.S. city to replace its entire police fleet with 20 Tesla electric vehicles, aiming to reduce emissions and save on operational costs. (X)

South Pasadena is the first U.S. city to switch its police fleet to 20 Tesla electric vehicles.
The fleet includes 10 Tesla Model Ys for patrols and 10 Model 3s for administrative use, costing $1.85 million.
The switch is expected to save $4,000 per vehicle annually and reduce emissions in the Los Angeles area.

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A city in Southern California has become the first in the nation to replace its police patrol cars with electric vehicles, officials announced Monday, unveiling a fleet of 20 new Teslas.

South Pasadena is officially the first city in the nation to have an all electric police fleet. The fleet consists of 10 Model Y cars for patrols and 10 model 3s for administrative and detective use. @Tesla @elonmusk @KFIAM640 pic.twitter.com/qACZZE99pp

— Blake Troli (@BlakeTroli) July 29, 2024

South Pasadena on the edge of Los Angeles will replace its gas-guzzling police cruisers with the Teslas to help protect public health and fight climate change through reducing emissions. The Teslas will use new electric vehicle chargers installed at City Hall, officials said.

Police Vehicles Idle More Than Others

Police vehicles typically idle more than other vehicles when officers make traffic stops or respond to emergency calls, which greatly adds to emissions, said Michael Cacciotti, a city councilmember and regional air quality official.

“This is important, particularly in the Los Angeles area, which still has the most unhealthful air in the nation,” Cacciotti said. “We hope other police departments in the region and state will make the switch, too.”

Other cities have some electric vehicles in their fleets but this is the first to entirely go electric, officials said. The police department in nearby Anaheim introduced six Teslas to its patrol fleet through a pilot program earlier this year.

South Pasadena Police Sgt. Tony Abdalla said in an email they were tracking about 35 other agencies across the U.S. who were willing to share their experiences with incorporating one or more Teslas into their respective fleets.

Net Cost of $1.85 Million

The police department will have 10 Tesla Model Ys as patrol vehicles and 10 Tesla Model 3s for detective and administrative duties, both customized for police use. The city’s net cost is $1.85 million, with more than half the total cost covered by energy providers Southern California Edison, the Clean Power Alliance, and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee.

“We will have a 21st Century police force that is safe, clean and saves taxpayer dollars,” South Pasadena Mayor Evelyn Zneimer stated in a news release.

The switch to electric is expected to save South Pasadena about $4,000 annually per vehicle on energy costs, and generate savings on maintenance such as brakes, oil changes and air filters, the news release said. The overall operational cost per mile will be at least half of what it was previously with gas-powered vehicles, according to Police Chief Brian Solinsky.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach ranked no. 1 worst in the country for ozone pollution — also known as smog — and no. 6 for annual particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association. Carbon dioxide emissions also contribute to climate change, which is blamed in part for increasingly deadly wildfires in the region.

California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule requires public agencies to ensure 50% of their vehicle purchases are zero-emissions beginning this year and 100% by 2027, but it exempts police cars and other emergency vehicles.