Tesla recently released detailed findings from the Model 3 police cruiser pilot it launched in the U.K. earlier this year — reports Electrek.
Police departments, emergency services, and even local governments all over the world are starting to lean towards electric cars for new service vehicles, with Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y proving to be popular choices.
Back in May, the Bargersville Police Department in Indiana, U.S., reported savings of over $6,000 USD in annual fuel and maintenance costs after just one year of using a Tesla Model 3 as a police cruiser.
Similarly, a Tesla Model 3 saved Connecticut’s Westport Police Department about $24,000 in retrofitting for a squad car and managed to make up the bulk of the price differential between it and the department’s go-to gas alternative during its first year on the streets.
But in the United Kingdom, Tesla actually built custom Model 3 police cruisers for police departments to test earlier this year.
Max Toozs-Hobson, Account Manager and Emergency Services lead at Tesla, said in a recent LinkedIn post that the vehicles are “getting some great results” after being in “initial trials with the police” for just nine months.
He went on to share the following findings in the post:
- It’s achievable to do over 200 miles of Blue Light advance driving with the Model 3. The average blue light run in the UK is about 7-15 minutes, The longest run in our cars has been over 4 hours on active deployment under advanced driving conditions.
- The auxiliary systems have minimal impact on range, ANPR for 3 hours would take less than a few mile of range off the car. LED lights could run for days off the battery pack.
- Chill mode & speed limiting allows the cars to be limited, allowing the possibility for split crews to drive the car on shift allowing for all officers to utilize the car.
- Light bars are like running with a parachute! Integrating lights into the car cabin does not affect our drag coefficiency and requires no holes to be drilled into the roof which has a negative affect on the cars residual values.
- Charging on shift works! last week I joined a traffic unit who got into the car with just 80 miles of range. We stopped at a V3 Supercharger and gained 70% power in less than 20 minutes. This gave us another 5-6 hours of driving for the shift. Plus this fill up cost less than £20.
- Public response to seeing our active units has been mind-blowing, the press articles have been positive as well. As an engagement tool we’re seeing incredible results.
- Brakes wear has been minimal, after 10,000 miles of driving the first set of pads still had 15-20% use still in them. Tires are the same as I.C.Es and need replacing at around 8,000 miles.
- After 15,000 miles the only maintenance has been brakes and tires, no annual service schedules mean minimal running costs, time off the road and competitive total cost of ownership.
- Tesla software updates and systems offer new ways to police, the ability to send directions to the car via systems such as what3words and Google maps will allow control rooms to send direct directions to a job. Dash cam, GPS tracking & App access offer unique potential to our cars as well.
- Our delivery lead times and body shop offer industry leading deployment for forces to deploy new units and repair.
Police departments and governmental institutions everywhere have started charting courses towards fleet electrification. Last month, the Paragould Police Department in Arkansas announced it would also be adding two Tesla Model 3s to its fleet.
