South Pasadena law enforcement will employ Tesla Model Y patrol vehicles in an effort to cut back on smog issues
Author of the article:
Nicholas Maronese
Published Jul 30, 2024 • Last updated 1week ago • 2 minute read
A city in Los Angeles County in California has become the first in the U.S. to transition to a police vehicle fleet made up entirely of EVs—specifically new Tesla models. The police department in South Pasadena said late July that it’s making the switch to the electric-vehicle patrol cars in an effort to combat Los Angeles’ longstanding smog and pollution problems. “The Los Angeles area… still has the most unhealthful air in the nation,” noted city council member Michael Cacciotti.
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He pointed out, too, that police vehicles are frequently found idling, whether during traffic stops or while responding to emergency calls, and he says that greatly adds to emissions, reports the Associated Press.
The new fleet will be made up of 10 Tesla Model Ys, employed as patrol vehicles; and 10 Tesla Model 3s, for detective and administrative use. Both types of vehicle will be customized for police use, and altogether the program, which also includes the installation of new EV chargers at city hall, will cost South Pasadena some US$1.85 million. More than half of the total cost has been covered by local energy providers and green-initiative organizations.
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Police Chief Brian Solinsky says the per-mile cost of the Tesla EV cruisers will be at least half of what the department’s old cop cars would rack up, leading to annual savings of about US$4,000 per car.
While it’s the first city to switch to an all-EV police car fleet in the U.S., several other precincts across the States and Canada have experimented with adding battery-powered vehicles into their local law enforcement’s motor pool. As far back as 2022, Vancouver, B.C. saw more than 20 full EVs in use by city police officers there, while municipalities in Atlantic Canada and Quebec more tentatively dipped a toe in the water trying out the same.
Several automakers have offered up their new EVs in police spec, including Ford with its Pro SSV trim of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup; and Chevrolet with its PPV variant of its Blazer SS electric sport-utility.
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Nicholas Maronese
Nicholas has been part of the Driving.ca team since 2018, and writes specifically about classic cars – like his first and currently only car, his 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp – whenever possible, though he also enjoys exploring vehicular history, automotive design, and car culture. His specific areas of focus include American cars of the 1930s, ’60s, and ’70s.
Summary
Driving.ca News and Features editor; and a Driving.ca contributor since 2018 Professional writer and editor for over 10 years, seeing publication in some of the most widely read outlets in Canada and the U.S. Specialties include classic-car profiles, automotive history, and stories exploring obscure Canadian car culture
Education
Nicholas graduated from York University with a Bachelor’s in Professional Writing, and a minor in Philosophy. He also holds a Canadian Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL); and has been training to be a concours judge.
Experience
Nicholas started out writing news for Sympatico Autos (later renamed Autofocus) before eventually becoming that website’s chief editor. In 2018, he joined Driving.ca, and was not long after made the News and Features Editor. Nicholas has also contributed to the Toronto Star’s Wheels section; to Hagerty’s editorial efforts; and to an assortment of other publications. Nicholas has owned and maintained a 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp since 2012; and previously tinkered on a 1929 Ford Model A. He is a regular volunteer with the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Owen Sound, Ontario; and a frequent participant in Classic Car Adventures’ Maple Mille event in southern Ontario.
Major works by the author
Nicholas loves exploring overlooked corners of Canadian car culture. For Sympatico Autos, he put together a deep-dive look at General Motors’ disastrous introduction of its European Firenza to the Canadian market; drafted an authoritative history of the built-in-Canada MCV CH4 supercar; and arranged the first wind-tunnel test of a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona “aero warrior” available online. For Driving.ca, he’s profiled Chris Hadfield’s passion for first-generation Ford Thunderbirds; proven that pre-war cars, excepting the Chrysler Airflow, were more aerodynamic backwards than forwards; and unearthed the story of the Ferguson Super Sport, a one-off roadster built in Toronto in the 1960s.
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