Photo: Somerset PD via FB | edited
As the benefits of electric vehicles are becoming more obvious, Police departments across the country have done their math and chosen to replace ICE vehicles in their fleets. The Somerset Police Department in Wisconsin bought a Tesla Model Y cruiser and expects to save almost $84,000 over ten years.
As more police departments start adding electric vehicles to their fleets, they discover the advantages over their ICE cousins. They have much lower operating costs, but this is not their only advantage. As a police car, EVs can work silently, which helps in stealth operations. And since most police vehicles spend a lot of time idling, an electric vehicle is ideal for keeping the fuel bill low. Add to that the instant acceleration, and you can see why EVs are such a good choice for police departments.
Recently, Somerset Police Department in Wisconsin decided to compare the spending on using an electric vehicle versus an ICE police car, and the results were obvious. No wonder they decided in favor of a Tesla Model Y. Based on their analysis, the department is expected to save $83,810 over the planned ten-year operational life of the electric crossover compared to a hybrid police car.
To be fair, the analysis considers replacing the ICE cruiser with a new car after five years, whereas the Tesla Model Y is expected to run for 10 years. Despite the higher purchase price ($55,000 versus $37,000), the Tesla Model Y becomes cheaper to own and operate after three years of ownership. This is because Tesla’s annual operating costs are much lower, at $1,300 versus $6,826 for a hybrid Ford Explorer. These include fuel/electricity bills and maintenance spending.
The department has shared interesting details on its Facebook page related to its ICE fleet. The retired Ford Police Interceptor Utility, which is Ford Explorer-based, racked up over $15,000 worth of maintenance and repair, depreciated over $30,000, and was averaging 10 mpg over its five-year/100,000-mile (161,000 km) duty cycle. Even switching to a new FWD Hybrid Squad, which averaged 24 mpg, would not make a difference compared to using a Tesla Model Y.
Somerset Police Department is considering lowering the operating costs of the new Tesla Model Y cruiser by installing a solar system to charge the car. The solar charger would operate independently of the grid. Until then, the car should charge just fine over a Level 2 charger installed at the police department. According to the Somerset PD, the Tesla charges at a rate of 25 miles (40 km) per hour while hooked to the charger.
Since most of the department’s officers average 30-60 miles (48-97 km) per shift, Tesla Model Y’s 300-mile (483-km) range should provide enough juice for a day’s work. Most police cars are used in low-speed, start-stop environments, which are ideal for electric vehicles, thanks to regenerative braking. Nevertheless, if you read the comments on Facebook, you’ll see that few in the local community appreciated the department’s option. This shows that people still lack minimal EV education.
Recently, Somerset Police Department in Wisconsin decided to compare the spending on using an electric vehicle versus an ICE police car, and the results were obvious. No wonder they decided in favor of a Tesla Model Y. Based on their analysis, the department is expected to save $83,810 over the planned ten-year operational life of the electric crossover compared to a hybrid police car.
To be fair, the analysis considers replacing the ICE cruiser with a new car after five years, whereas the Tesla Model Y is expected to run for 10 years. Despite the higher purchase price ($55,000 versus $37,000), the Tesla Model Y becomes cheaper to own and operate after three years of ownership. This is because Tesla’s annual operating costs are much lower, at $1,300 versus $6,826 for a hybrid Ford Explorer. These include fuel/electricity bills and maintenance spending.
The department has shared interesting details on its Facebook page related to its ICE fleet. The retired Ford Police Interceptor Utility, which is Ford Explorer-based, racked up over $15,000 worth of maintenance and repair, depreciated over $30,000, and was averaging 10 mpg over its five-year/100,000-mile (161,000 km) duty cycle. Even switching to a new FWD Hybrid Squad, which averaged 24 mpg, would not make a difference compared to using a Tesla Model Y.
Somerset Police Department is considering lowering the operating costs of the new Tesla Model Y cruiser by installing a solar system to charge the car. The solar charger would operate independently of the grid. Until then, the car should charge just fine over a Level 2 charger installed at the police department. According to the Somerset PD, the Tesla charges at a rate of 25 miles (40 km) per hour while hooked to the charger.
Since most of the department’s officers average 30-60 miles (48-97 km) per shift, Tesla Model Y’s 300-mile (483-km) range should provide enough juice for a day’s work. Most police cars are used in low-speed, start-stop environments, which are ideal for electric vehicles, thanks to regenerative braking. Nevertheless, if you read the comments on Facebook, you’ll see that few in the local community appreciated the department’s option. This shows that people still lack minimal EV education.
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