The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) has received approval to purchase two electric vehicles (EVs) to see if they can handle the day-to-day activities of their officers.
San Antonio city council approved the purchase this week, giving the department the green light to spend $121,000 to buy a 2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range and a Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The two EVs will be put through their paces over the next year to see if they are suitable for law enforcement use. Council member Mario Bravo is excited to see how they fare.
“This is progress. And I look forward to seeing how these test vehicles work out for SAPD,” Bravo said after voting on the proposal. (via MySA)
The proposal did not mention if any charging infrastructure will be installed to support the two EVs, or whether there is any existing infrastructure already in place.
The purchase is part of larger city-wide $1.5 million vehicle replacement package. San Antonio has so far purchased 50 electric and hybrid vehicles for public works, parks and recreations, development services, the fire department, and more.
Both the Model Y and the Mach-E have been popular choices among police departments looking to go electric. Those that have made the switch have seen massive savings, like the Berea Police Department which saved over $7,000 in fuel costs alone in the first six months of using three Model 3 cruisers.
Canada also has some electric police cars. The City of Repentigny and Peel Regional Police both have Mach-E’s in their fleet. Also, the Westshore RCMP on Vancouver Island will be adding a Model Y and a Mach-E to their fleet later this year.
Menlo Park takes delivery of three Tesla Model Y police cruisers
