In a historic move, California Governor Gavin Newsom exercised his authority in September of last year, issuing an order that all vehicles sold in the state must be emission-free by the year 2035. As a result, the New York police department started leaving their fuel-operated cars and replacing them with electric vehicles, fearing regret according to a report by TechCrunch.
The dominance of Tesla in the electric vehicle market logically justifies relying on their vehicles as a main source for police electric vehicle fleets in California. However, recently, some police departments in the state have begun to regret their decision to replace their fleets with Tesla Model Y vehicles.
Although these vehicles are considered environmentally friendly, they have presented a range of challenges, as reported by some officers in Northern California to SFGate. Officer Cedric Crook points out that the back seats in Tesla vehicles accommodate only one passenger, limiting the officers’ ability to effectively hold suspects. Crook emphasizes that incidents involving multiple parties require a lot of police presence, necessitating additional vehicles and putting strain on resources.
Crook also mentioned hearing officers express difficulty in comfortably getting in and out of the driver’s seat due to the design of Tesla vehicles, as officers struggle with wearing heavy police belts weighing between nine to eleven kilograms, making it difficult to adapt to the sleek car design.
As for the modern technology, officers have expressed concerns about the autonomous driving system, as relying on unsecured charging stations puts them at risk when transporting suspects long distances. Crook adds that one of the fundamental lessons he learned in the police academy is the necessity to “hide behind the engine” during armed confrontations, which is not a viable option with electric vehicles.
