Summary
- California police find Tesla Model 3 and Model Y too tight for police duty
- Few EV options for police vehicles, no official Tesla police package
- F-150 Lightning pickups better received by police departments
- Tesla electric cars not ideal for police work due to lack of interior space
- More EV choices becoming available for police departments, including Ford F-150 Lightning and potential Dodge Charger Daytona
Article
Police departments in California are facing challenges with using Tesla Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles as patrol cars due to their lack of interior space and inadequate accommodations for police equipment. While most automakers offer police packages for their vehicles, Tesla does not, leading departments to rely on aftermarket companies to convert standard Teslas into police cars. The tight fit in the back seats of the Model 3 and Model Y only allows for one prisoner, and officers wearing duty belts and bullet-resistant vests have found the vehicles to be nearly unusable. Despite these issues, the lack of options for fully electric police vehicles has led some departments to still turn to Tesla.
In contrast to the struggles with Tesla vehicles, the Fort Bragg Police Department has had a more positive experience with the F-150 Lightning pickup trucks. The department acquired five of these trucks in 2022, finding them to be cheaper than replacing decommissioned police cars with gasoline vehicles. The F-150 Lightning does not have the same space limitations as the Tesla models, providing a more practical option for storing equipment and transporting items such as abandoned bicycles and shopping carts. The familiarity of the Ford brand also makes maintenance and repairs easier for these vehicles.
Despite the challenges faced by California police departments with Tesla vehicles, there is a growing trend towards the adoption of electric vehicles for police duty. The City of Irvine recently took delivery of a Tesla Cybertruck for use in law enforcement, showing a continued interest in transitioning towards sustainable vehicles within police fleets. Additionally, Stellantis has teased a Dodge Charger Daytona police car to maintain their presence in the police vehicle market. With more options becoming available, there may be increased diversity in electric vehicles used for police work in the future.
The push towards electric police vehicles is part of California’s larger goal to phase out sales of most new cars with combustion engines by 2035. While this transition presents challenges in terms of finding suitable electric vehicles for police use, it also opens up opportunities for innovation and development in the police vehicle market. Police departments will need to navigate issues related to interior space, equipment accommodations, and maintenance when selecting electric vehicles for patrol duties, but the increasing availability of options may help address some of these concerns.
As police departments continue to evaluate electric vehicles for patrol duties, the development of dedicated police packages for electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y may become more prevalent. Working with automakers to design vehicles specifically tailored to the needs of law enforcement could help address the current limitations faced by departments using standard electric vehicles. Additionally, collaborating with aftermarket companies to modify electric vehicles for police use may lead to more efficient and effective solutions for law enforcement agencies looking to transition to electric patrol vehicles.
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