The Fremont Police Department have released the results of their Electric Patrol Vehicle Pilot Program that tested a Tesla Model S to see if it could stand up to the needs of daily patrol use.
After one year on the job from March 2019 to March 2020, the police department said the 2014 Tesla Model S 85 easily passed the test, saving thousands of dollars in the process.
According to a lengthy report published by the Fremont PD, the Tesla saved $4,097 in annual fuel/energy costs when compared to a gas equivalent Ford patrol vehicle.
In addition to the big fuel savings, the Model S was also much more reliable than the Ford, requiring just 39.125 days (10.72%) of downtime compared to 66 days (17.98%) for the Ford patrol vehicle.
They also added that if tested over a longer period of time, they expect the maintenance and repair costs to decrease by as much as 50% compared to their traditional gas patrol vehicles.
According to the report, not only did the Model S save money and prove more reliable, it also demonstrated the effectiveness of electric vehicles (EVs) to help the City of Fremont reach its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Over the one year pilot program, the Tesla saved 42,198lbs of operational CO2 emissions.
It was also noted the 265 mile (426km) range of the Model S “easily accommodated” the 40 to 70 miles (64 to 112km) the department’s patrol vehicles drove on average per day.
The one year test was so successful, they have already added a Model Y and Ford Explorer hybrid to their fleet. They seemed particularly enthusiastic about the added utility from the Model Y, saying:
“The newly purchased Tesla Model Y has many advantages over the Tesla Model S 85, including a lower starting price, an increased range of over 300 miles, more rear cargo and storage space for police equipment, and higher ground clearance to allow the vehicle to traverse a wide variety of terrain.”
You can read the full report here.
