The first Tesla police cruiser in Nova Scotia is reportedly performing better than expected for the Bridgewater Police Service.
The police service has been using the vehicle since July, and early returns on the vehicle are significant per reporting by CBC.
Chief of Police Scott Feener had this to say about the Tesla Model 3
What it’s costing us monthly currently for charging is basically what we’ve been spending in three days on fuel in a gas car. It’s actually performing better than what we were expecting. I can tell you that with all the emergency equipment electronics in it, it’s going a full couple of shifts, basically, before it needs to be recharged.
Currently, the Bridgewater Police uses the Model 3 police vehicle for traffic enforcement.
Traffic enforcement by ICE police units previously required hours of idling which the Model 3 can avoid.
Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell had this to say on the vehicle:
The Tesla is expected to save at least $5,000 a year, each year that it’s in service. And we’re expecting it to actually be in service about two years longer than its gas equivalent just because of the reduced maintenance.
Although the returns have been positive, Chief Feener did note that they are not limiting their options for their next EV police unit to only Tesla.
He did not elaborate on what he had in mind for the next EV on the police force.
