California city unveils nation’s first all electric vehicle police fleet

A Southern California city has become the first in the nation to replace its police cars with electric vehicles, officials announced Monday, unveiling a fleet of 20 new Teslas.

South Pasadena on the outskirts of Los Angeles will replace its gas-guzzling police cruisers with Teslas in a bid to protect public health and combat climate change by reducing emissions. The Teslas will use new electric vehicle chargers installed at City Hall, officials said.

Police vehicles typically idle longer than other vehicles when officers are conducting traffic stops or responding to emergency calls, a significant contributor to pollutant emissions, said Michael Cacciotti, city council member and regional air quality officer.

“This is important, especially in the Los Angeles area, which still has some of the most unhealthy air in the country,” Cacciotti said. “We hope other police departments in the region and state will follow suit.”

Other cities have some electric vehicles in their fleets, but this is the first that is fully electric, officials said. Police in nearby Anaheim introduced six Teslas into its patrol fleet through a pilot program earlier this year.

South Pasadena Police Sgt. Tony Abdalla said in an email that they were tracking about 35 other agencies across the U.S. that were willing to share their experiences with incorporating one or more Teslas into their respective fleets.

The police department will receive 10 Tesla Model Ys for patrol vehicles and 10 Tesla Model 3s for detective and administrative duties, both customized for police use. The net cost to the city will be $1.85 million, with more than half of the total cost covered by energy providers Southern California Edison, the Clean Power Alliance and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee.

“We will have a 21st century police force that is safe, clean and saves taxpayer dollars,” South Pasadena Mayor Evelyn Zneimer said in a press release.

The switch to electric is expected to save South Pasadena about $4,000 per year per vehicle in energy costs and provide savings on maintenance such as brakes, oil changes and air filters, the news release said. The total operating cost per mile will be at least half of what it was with gas-powered vehicles, Police Chief Brian Solinsky said.

According to the American Lung Association, Los Angeles-Long Beach ranks No. 1 worst in the nation for ozone pollution — also known as smog — and No. 6 for annual particulate matter pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions also contribute to climate change, which is partly blamed on increasingly deadly forest fires in the region.

California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation requires government agencies to ensure that 50 percent of their vehicle purchases are zero-emission starting this year and 100 percent by 2027. Police cars and other emergency vehicles, however, are exempt.