Posted on 10/16/2024 3:29:16 AM PDT by dennisw
Among the California police departments that have tried using Teslas was the Ukiah Police Department, the largest municipal police force in Mendocino County.
There, Police Chief Cedrick Crook requested the City Council approve the purchase of two Tesla Model 3s, which is the company's sedan, on August 7, 2024.
That purchase totaled nearly $150,000 between the cost of the cars and $35,000 in modifications to make the Teslas patrol-ready, Crook told the San Francisco Gate.
He said the vehicles needed the standard emergency lights, sirens, radio, antenna, push bar, partition and gun rack, but the Teslas also needed to be upgraded with ballistic panels to toughen it up for the streets.
The problem is that there is only one modification shop for Teslas in the state: Unplugged Performance in Hawthorne, which is about 500 miles south of Ukiah.
Store employees said it would take months to make all the modifications necessary to make the vehicles patrol-ready.
Adding to the issues with the cars, only two Tesla Supercharger stations have been installed in the city over the past two years. It remains unclear how officers would be charging the electric vehicles, Crook said.
He noted that police are often required to transport suspects, witnesses or victims to trials or court dates, which could be far away, and if detectives were driving a Tesla, Crook said they would have to spend time at an unsecured public charging station while protecting the person.
Since then, a number of local municipalities have implemented their own goals to convert their fleet of gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.
But the police chiefs who have purchased Teslas say the design of the cars is detrimental to police operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I could have told them that even before they brought them.
German insurance company came out with numbers last week....one out of every three Germans who buy an E-car...will ease out of the E-car in 3 to 4 years....going back to a gas/diesel vehicle.
While you yourself may be a genius, one need not even be close to “geniousity” to develop such an insight.
Just not having an intellect darkened by [insert persistent ungodly belief or behavior here] plus a few years of useful life experience will probably do the trick.
Crook said they would have to spend time at an unsecured public charging station while protecting the person.
They could always tow a generator with them...
heh heh heh..
Cybertruck.
...one out of every three Germans who buy an E-car...will ease out of the E-car in 3 to 4 years....going back to a gas/diesel vehicle.
+++++++
“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” — Will Rogers
The krauts and so many others must pee on the fence for themselves. I find it very amusing. I see it in my neighborhood. BMW electric SUV is now gone and replaced by a gas VW SUV. They had the BMW for about a year. Must have taken a beating on the trade-in value.
But buy a tesla for police use anyway, don't mind the cost, it will pay for itself /s
I drove 10 to 12 vehicles in my 33 year career as a LEO.
The best two for my work were a Ford expedition and a Chevy Tahoe.
Both got around 13mpg. In the winter I loved the 5 wheel drive.
A video of a hill climb starring a Tesla has a running generator mounted on the rear bumper, with the plug going directly to the charging port.
Funny, but effective...
I suspect very few people are actually buying these electric vehicles, and most of them are leasing the vehicles and have no concern about the residual value after the lease ends.
Surely, Elon Musk is aware of the feedback and limitations.
I wonder if he’s pursuing building hybrid versions of his battery cars?
At least they tried two cars first instead of doing 100.
5 wheel? Training wheel? Lol :)
I’m retired LE and I’ve personally seen how cops treat equipment for more than 30 years. The cops will break these cars early and often. And I’m so ready to see one of these things run out of juice in the middle of a pursuit. Now if they were fuel cell electrics that may be possible. But straight electrics?
Nope.
CC
My next-door bought a Tesla. After a few winter months, he replaced it with an F-150.
“As stupid as the person who gets a great Dane puppy because they are cool. Never thi king a out the cost of vet bills, food, bedding the amount of time you need to spend exercising them and the size and amoumt poop scooping”
Sounds like the Vietnamese Potbelly Pig idea someone had a long time ago. They were so cute until they became 200 pounds.
If they use the cyber truck no more undercover vehicles for patrolling.
More perspective here:
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-switch-electric-cars-cops-19816671.php
From the article:
“Another concern Crook has about Teslas, and EVs broadly, comes from an essential lesson he was taught in the police academy: “In a firefight, hide behind the engine block.” In a Tesla, there is no engine block, leaving officers without their preferred cover, he said.”
It would seem to me the battery pack would need to hardened to prevent bullets or other foreign objects from penetrating it and setting the car on fire..
The Teslas themselves aren’t bad. The demands of the job is what makes them unusable. Important distinction.
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