Employees of Venice, Florida’s police, utilities, and building divisions will all get a chance to drive an electric car as the city has added three Tesla Model 3s to its fleet. The EVs went into service this month, however the unit assigned to the police department needs to be retrofitted with a light bar before it can begin work for patrols.
According to fleet manager Travis Hout, Venice is going with electric vehicles to cut maintenance costs and its carbon footprint.
The three Tesla cars are being tested for their suitability in various roles. The police cruiser, for example, will be tested to see if it will last a 12-hour shift and how fast it can charge for the next shift, as reported by the Herald-Tribune.
The city already has hybrids in its fleets, but the Teslas are the first fully electric cars in its stable.
Hout said the Model 3 was the obvious choice thanks to the 10-year battery warranty. The police unit is a 2022 model, while the rest are 2021.
Venice will auction off the EVs when they get two years of battery warranty left to maximize the resale value. City vehicles usually have a life cycle of 10 to 12 years, while police cruisers remain in service for between 6 and 8 years.
Other police departments worldwide adopting EVs include Coral Gables, Westshore RCMP, Somerset, Northfield, Menlo Park, etc.
