South Pasadena in Los Angeles County is set to become the first city in the United States where local police will use all-electric models. The first cars to enter service in the California law enforcement fleet will be 10 Tesla Model Ys and as many Model 3s.
The replacement of gasoline cars with battery-powered sedans produced by Elon Musk was promoted by the Air Quality Management District (committee for air quality and management) which last April allocated a grant of $ 500.00 to the city , aimed at converting the entire police fleet into Ev vehicles.
The trial period is expected to be 60 months and the order has been entrusted to Unplugged Performance; company based in Hawthorne, California, specialized in improving the performance and driveability of Teslas.
Among the numerous specimens already modified in recent years, the racing Model S Plaid driven by Randy Pobst at Pikes Peak has obtained particular resonance and the growing success of its customizations has convinced Unplugged Performance to introduce the “Upfit” division dedicated to the forces of ‘order. According to Unplugged Performance, Tesla also has a competitive advantage in this sector since the conversion of a Model Y with law enforcement specifications costs around $91,900 compared to the $98,000 required for a Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid.
Over a five-year period (the length of the lease period for Pasadena Police Teslas), the California city will save about $27,000 per car. Fleet Director Unplugged Performance James Fedland also told Top Gear that “the Tesla platform delivers world-class engineering and cutting-edge technologies that together provide national law enforcement with advanced, reliable and sustainable solutions for the benefit of the whole community”
The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 chosen by the Pasadena police for patrolling and administrative functions will arrive on the road with K-9 (dog unit transport) capability. Teslas are also replacing local police cars in Fremont (California) and Falmouth in Massachusets. Albeit on very small numbers, the decision to convert Model Y and Model 3 rather than the electrified models of manufacturers historically associated with law enforcement agencies such as Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet represents another significant and highly symbolic piece in the overwhelming rise of the Tesla brand.
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