California police are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Teslas to comply with the state's zero-emissions mandate, but some find them “almost useless” as patrol cars.
Since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in 2020 mandating that all vehicles sold in California be zero-emissions by 2035, several municipalities have begun purchasing modified electric vehicles. .
The city of Irvine spent a whopping $150,000 on just one tricked-out Tesla Cybertruck, angering taxpayers. That's because it wasn't for regular patrols, but to draw attention to the anti-drug DARE program. According to LAist.
But other departments have purchased Teslas to test as regular police vehicles, including concerns that officers will continue to charge at unfamiliar stations with criminals inside. , many concerns have been reported. The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
That includes the Menlo Park Police Department, which is just a nine-mile drive from Tesla's local headquarters.
The department purchased three $50,000 Tesla Model Ys and then spent more money modifying them, only for Chief David Norris to conclude that they were not “the police cars of the future.” .
The study found that police officers “appreciated acceleration, steering, and vehicle speed,” but had limitations in going off-road or jumping on curbs, and found that police officers “appreciated acceleration, steering, and vehicle speed,” but were limited in going off-road or jumping on curbs, and found that officers had limited ability to drive off-road or jump on curbs. They reported safety issues causing delays and even stopping cars when they tried to drive on the shoulder. of the road.
Officers claimed the cabin was so small that their duty belts and bulletproof vests protruded into the passenger seat, making them “almost unusable.” According to research.
The City of Ukiah, Mendocino County's largest city, spent $150,000 on two modified Tesla Model 3s, which Police Chief Cedric Crook said was a “huge boost from the city's climate change initiatives,” according to the Chronicle. He said it was necessary to respond.
But the only shop that could do the conversion is 500 miles away, and the work could take months, the report said.
The chief is also concerned about the availability of charging stations, noting that officers often have to transport prisoners, suspects and victims hundreds of miles to and from other jurisdictions. He pointed out that this is longer than a Tesla vehicle can be transported without stopping for an extended period of time.
Crook also said the vehicles “can only hold one inmate,” which limits officers' ability to detain multiple suspects, and that officers often wear belts weighing more than 20 pounds to control the swanky vehicles. reported difficulty getting on and off the vehicle.
Crooks said the main safety concern is the lack of an engine block, which police officers are taught in schools to hide behind during a gunfight.
“We're not ready to put police officers in Teslas,” the police chief told the Chronicle.
The Fort Bragg Police Department has decided to ditch Teslas for five Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks and equip the police station parking lot with chargers.
The Ford, which is “America's best-selling truck,” is easy to modify and repair, but the “difficult” Tesla “requires a Tesla technician to do a lot of the work.” And they're pretty It’s been out of service for a long time,” Chief Neil Cervenka told the Chronicle.
His more positive experience suggests that police should not give up on caring for the environment.
Cervenka suggested that “Tesla is not the right answer for electric vehicle adoption in the current law enforcement market. But there may be better options.”
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
