Photo: Somerset Police Department
A new question and answer session about the Tesla Model Y police cruiser was shared on Police1 earlier this month, featuring Somerset, Wisconsin Police Chief Joel Trepczyk. The session details the Somerset Police Department’s experience so far with the Model Y cruiser, including how much it has saved and why it purchased one in the first place.
Trepczyk says the department first selected a Model Y because the city expected it to save over $80,000 in the course of a decade for taxpayers.
He also notes the various maintenance benefits of using a Tesla, specifically listing that it requires no oil changes, includes regenerative braking, has a battery designed for 500,000 miles and a drivetrain for one million miles. Additionally, it features good crash test ratings and a number of other benefits, Trepczyk points out.
When asked what the other officers think about the new squad car, Trepczyk said, “So far, so good! The feedback has been positive and the officers seem to choose the new squad over the others. The more you see this Tesla police car on the road, the more money our village will be saving. The officers are still getting adjusted to the one-pedal driving and quick acceleration.”
Trepczyk also says the police department purchased the Tesla Model Y for around $60,000 using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The Q&A comes as a number of U.S. police departments are purchasing Tesla vehicles for their fleets, largely due to their low maintenance costs compared to gas cars.
Cotati Police Unveils First Tesla Model Y Cruiser in Sonoma County https://t.co/fWGdw1FNDx
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) September 17, 2022
