What Modifications Does the Tesla Model Y Need To Become a Police Pursuit Vehicle?

Police departments across the country are adopting electric vehicles in droves, seduced by their many advantages. The lower operating cost is probably the most obvious, with recent calculations by the Somerset PD in Wisconsin showing a Tesla Model Y police cruise can save up to $85,000 over ten years compared to a Ford Explorer Hybrid equivalent. The ability to operate silently is another advantage that ICE vehicles lack. When adding the supercar performance of many electric cars, you see why more and more EVs joined the force in the past years.

In May, South Pasadena Police Department announced converting its entire fleet to 100% electric. The department has already bought 10 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y EVs and converted them to patrol vehicles, with another ten planned in the future. Interestingly, the company commissioned to do the conversion is Unplugged Performance, known for its aftermarket performance parts and experience in modifying Tesla EVs.

With Tesla becoming so popular among police department staff, it was only a matter of time before companies specialized in modifying EVs for police use. Model PD is already working with police departments, offering a modified Telsa Model Y that officers can rely on during their day-to-day operations. The modifications are extensive, as you can see in the video below.

The most obvious ones are on the outside, including the custom-built push bumper with integrated lights, the steel wheels with reinforced tires, and the police-specific light bar installed on the roof. The latter is made of carbon fiber instead of the glass used in the series model to support various police attachments, including light bars, antennas, and cabling for all the stuff. A police spotlight is installed on the driver's side A-pillar, as usual.

The interior has also been modified, with more durable seats, vinyl carpeting, and custom-built partitioning. The video shows the car's main screen displaying the police software interface, which runs on Windows. This is possible by using a DisplayPort switch between the MCU and the display, allowing the crew to choose between the Tesla interface and an external computer.

As expected, the modifications significantly raised the price of a stock Model Y, which is already more expensive than an ICE police cruiser. Although the price is not public, Model PD claims police departments can break even after only two years of use. The company also predicts that a Model Y police cruiser can be used for about ten years without significant issues, double the lifecycle of an ICE patrol car. This is similar to what other police departments that adopted Teslas have reported.