Tesla will soon have another feather in its cap as LAPD has decided to add its cars to its fleet. The department evaluated it in a community outreach role and now is outfitting a high-performance Model S P85 D with all the equipment needed to make it a pursuit vehicle, according to NBC 4.
What makes the Tesla Model S a good choice?
A department spokesman informed the TV station that the LAPD intends to make the Model S worthy of being sent on a patrol. For this purpose, it will add a custody cage, a shotgun rack and all of the required electronics by working with Tesla. Once this is done, it will be used to respond to emergencies and possibly join in high-speed pursuits, notes Fox News.
The Tesla Model S takes less than three seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph and has a top speed of 155 mph, making it one of the fastest cars on the road today. It has a range of 270 mph per charge. The Model S boasts a large battery, which offers it high performance and a longer range, giving it an edge over smaller electric cars.
Usage of electric vehicles will not only reduce dependence on fossil fuels but also offer potential savings in operational expenses. The spokesman said that if all the tests are successful and the cost of such cars continues to fall, then in the next five years, the LAPD might replace its fleet of patrol cars with electric cars.
LAPD needs cars with faster acceleration and longer range
LAPD added 100 BMW i3 electrics to its fleet in June. These are mainly used as administrative vehicles, but some have already been used in crime scene investigations.
The assistant commander of the Administrative Services Bureau, Vartan Yegiyan, who oversees the LAPD’s vehicles, said the deployment of the BMW i3 electrics went well. Yegiyan expects the total cost of operating the cars to be 15% lower than that of the traditional vehicles they will replace.
Sgt. Mark Kelly, who was assigned an electric car for his work in the officer representation section, praises the i3. Kelly said it was better suited than the traditional car it replaced, according to NBC 4. However, there is a need for faster acceleration and longer range for patrol duty than the i3 can provide, and Tesla appears to be the perfect option as it is larger in terms of both size and battery.
