In California , the Irvine Police Department recently got a mint of attention after it let go a flashy promotional videoshowing off its new Tesla Cybertruck . The video has a turn of an eerie feeling to it due in part to the fact that it practice medicine from theTerminatormovie franchise , in which the cops are not exactly the adept guys .
Irvine PD claims that this is the first Tesla Cybertruck to be used as a police vehicle , although it ’s only being used for the D.A.R.E. anti - drug program and not on patrol . Taxpaying residents for certain hump that .
You might wonder though , are Tesla ’s good as factual , existent - deal , crime - fight police vehicle ? EVs have fast acceleration , guidance , and telling top speeds , so they might seem idealistic .
The police department in Menlo Park found too many issues with Tesla’s Model Y to use it as a squad car.Menlo Park police Chief David Norris via SFGate
SFGatelooked into this very question , speaking with three police departments in Northern California who have already sample total Tesla ’s to their fleet . And although none follow off pessimistic about the electric cars , they were n’t atrociously enthusiastic about them either . But their complaint also highlight an issue for EVs in general , not just as they relate to law enforcement consumption .
It seems nonrational that charging might be the prominent payoff for police who have to drive around all twenty-four hour period , but it was n’t really . Instead , the two way out law chiefs highlighted most were the size of the vehicle and customization .
Ukiah Police Department in Mendocino County moved to purchase two Model 3s after the city council there passed a resolution in 2022 directing section to convert to immature vehicle wherever possible . constabulary Chief Cedric Crook toldSFGatethat two Model 3s with modifications for constabulary - readiness derive to $ 150,000 .
The first issue he mentioned with the cars were those modifications . Tesla are notoriously hard to get service or customized under normal circumstance , and police force postulate a slew of additions including emergency lighting , push bars , partitions , and ballistic panels to toughen them up . The only place to modify Teslas in such a room seems to be Unplugged Performance in Hawthorne , which also modified the Cybertruck for Irvine PD . Crook see after contacting Unplugged that it would take months to customise the Model 3s — and he ’d have to ravish them hundred of mile to Southern California first .
That ’s an annoyance , but cabin size of it was ultimately a mickle - breakers . Crook recover that the Model 3s back seats “ only have room for one prisoner , ” limiting the ability to sequestrate multiple defendant at a prison term . And the duty belt that officers wear can add a lot of weight and bulk to their torso , apparently making it difficult to get in and out of the Model 3s slim driver ’s seat . The Model 3 is indeed quite small , and distinctive constabulary vehicles have seats with a wide base to accomodate public utility company bang . But another police department in Menlo Park , the right way near Tesla ’s Palo Alto HQ , made the same complaint — and they were using roomier Model Y crossovers . Adding a partition separating the front and back seats reduced usable infinite up front where the shopping center console and police force computer are turn up .
“ Officers report the cramped cabin caused their duty smash and bulletproof vest to jut into the passenger seat , ‘ making it nearly unusable ’ , ” SFGate discovered .
Crooks still has to waitress six months for the Model 3s to finish being modified , but for the other reasons advert , decided they will just be used by administrative staff . Again , taxpayers must love $ 150,000 being spend on two cars for paper - perambulator .
In Fort Bragg , constabulary section Chief Neil Cervenka is an EV partisan , and made a witting choice to go for Ford F-150 Lightnings instead of Teslas . The vehicle is more of an obvious pick because its design is nearly identical to the gas - power F-150 , mutual in police departments . Cervenka said the electrified version is similar enough to the combustion adaptation that both part and shop mechanic who can act upon on them are pronto usable . He feared that Tesla ’s could n’t well be modified and would be out of direction waiting for Tesla - clear technicians too often .
The design of the F-150 , he say , is also just more conducive to police force work than a 3 or Y. In particular , its high headroom is crucial for jumping curbs and off - route economic consumption . This is one that all the constabulary departments in the narration cite — the Teslas sit around too low . The F-150 in peculiar is also ideal just because it has a truck bed where police force equipment , cycle , and other dick can be lay in .
Of course , a Cybertruck should be capable to address some of these topic . But customization and repairability are still an subject , and Cybertrucks are massive . Fort Bragg , where they choose F-150 Lightnings , is a small and isolated place on the sea-coast . Police surely call for a smaller patrol automobile for urban environments , and Tesla ’s Model 3 and Y are not quite design for it .
Ultimately a handsome complaint that even civilians have about EVs is that there are not enough options to pick out from that appeal to every particular niche , so the charge from constabulary are not unusual . There are too few options in EVs , and combustion vehicle profit from decade of substructure build around them .
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