Buying a Tesla as a police car? American police don’t want
In the field of vehicles, electric vehicles are undoubtedly one of the future development directions, and more and more people choose to buy electric vehicles as their means of transportation. However, in Spokane, Washington, which plans to purchase 64 vehicles as police cars, the government's idea of choosing electric vehicles such as Tesla has been opposed by many front-line police officers.
The Tesla Model Y can go from zero to 60 mph in a short period of time, and the Bagsville, Indiana Police Department bought several Tesla Model 3 vehicles, and after a year of using the Tesla Model 3, They have saved over $6000.
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In addition to the United States, police departments in Australia and Switzerland also purchase Teslas as police cars. Since using a Tesla can save money and travel with electric vehicles is more environmentally friendly, why are the police in Spokane not willing to use Tesla as a police car?
The police in Spokane gave the most direct reason-the Tesla's cramped interior space. They argued that the Tesla was not a proper police car, that it was too small and was not designed for police work.
▲ Picture from: The Spokesman-Review
The police version of the Tesla is currently being tested at the police department in Spokane, Washington. In the actual use of the car, demonstrated by Constable Shane Phillips, the laptop, which police use to answer calls and display information about people and the car, obscures parts of the car's controls on the car's trackpad.
To use the device to control things like lights and wipers, police would have to remove the laptop. In an investigation into complaints about Tesla conducted by the police, some people also reported that the space inside the car was too crowded. People sitting in the passenger seat, for example, would have their space taken up by a laptop stand that the police need to use.
▲ Picture from: The Spokesman-Review
Police in Spokane were most concerned about the Tesla's inability to provide a comfortable driving experience, and the Fremont Police Department in California chased down the suspect because of the Tesla's power problem.
People who own electric vehicles are always worried about long-distance driving, and worry that electric vehicles are not enough to support battery life. At present, the laying of charging piles is not perfect, and charging is also a problem that cannot be ignored.
In September 2019, Fremont police officer Hartman was chasing the suspect's Toyota at more than 100 miles per hour on Interstate 680 South when he suddenly reported that he could not continue the pursuit and needed to call for reinforcements. The reason was that the Model S he was driving was running low on power.
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In the end, Hartman had to give up the pursuit and look for a charging pile to charge. Although some reinforcements continued to pursue the pursuit, the suspect was nowhere to be found when he found the vehicle that was crashed by the roadside.
The car was purchased in January 2018 for $61,000 by Tesla police officers who failed to catch up to the suspect. After that, the police station spent more than a year refitting, equipped with light bars, push rod bumpers, armored door panels and cages.
▲ Picture from: abcNEWS
Police in Spokane currently prefer to use a hybrid Ford Adventure vehicle as a police vehicle. In addition, the Spokane Police Department also said that the cost of fully equipping a Tesla as a patrol car is about $30,000, not including the cost of purchasing the vehicle. , while the Kia Hybrid costs only about $8,000 to $15,000. Add in the extra tuning costs, and the cost of a Tesla and a hybrid isn't really that much different.
▲ Picture from: The Spokesman-Review
The police department has said it has no objection to the choice of electric vehicles in the future, but they do not believe Tesla is a suitable vehicle for patrolling police. In response, Bergers, the Spokane government's parliamentary chairman, said that if the police department doesn't want a Tesla, they can choose another electric vehicle. There is no conclusion yet on what car to choose as a police car.
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