California police say Teslas are not ready for police use

Teslas are not ready for police use – two police chiefs in California also agree on this conclusion. In an interview with SFGATEthe chiefs of the Menlo Park Police Department and the Ukiah Police Department, are voicing their opinion on making their patrol car fleet fully electric, in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate in the Golden State – all cars sold in California will be electric vehicles by 2035.

Ukiah Police Department Chief Cedric Crook and Menlo Park Police Department Chief David Norris spoke in the interview. Crook purchased two Tesla Model 3s for his mission – both were originally intended for patrol purposes but were later downgraded to transporting command personnel. Norris, on the other hand, received three long-range Model Y units for a systematic pilot study of electric vehicles as patrol vehicles.

What are the problems?

Both Crook and Norris agree that Teslas, whether Model 3 or Model Y, have tight interior spaces for police work, especially after being equipped for the task. Crook added that the back seats only had room for one attacker and officers, wearing their duty belts, had difficulty getting in and out of the vehicle. He added that a Tesla won’t be good in a firefight because in the police academy they were taught to sit behind the engine, which electric vehicles don’t have.

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Meanwhile, Norris pointed to issues with the Model Y’s low profile, which limited its ability to jump curbs and drive off-road. He also said officials had reported problems with “autopilot glitches,” as well as many more problems with the vehicle being too smart and its controls being in one place. Both police chiefs agree that charging is a problem. Crook cites a case in which his investigators had to drive 630 miles to Mexico, which would have included a lengthy charging stop if they had been in a Tesla.

Then there is the problem with the outfitters

Since Tesla does not equip its electric vehicles for police use directly from the factory, the police had to contact third-party companies to prepare the patrol cars for use. This wasn’t a problem for typical police vehicles as there is a long list of companies that can do the job. For Teslas, however, only one company can accomplish this task and that is UP.FIT, a division of Unplugged Performance for fleet vehicles. Crook said the Southern California company said it would take months to complete two Model 3s.

Related

Police officers are not satisfied with their Tesla patrol cars

Range anxiety and cramped interior spaces are drawbacks, Spokane law enforcement say.

This isn’t the first time police departments have reported dissatisfaction with their Tesla police vehicles, with others reporting similar issues with claustrophobia and range anxiety. Maybe the new Cybertruck police car, which will be larger and offer more space, will do the trick.

Source: SFGATE