Tesla Model Y crossover is known to be used by various police departments already and it has proven to be effective. However, recently the Police Cruiser was rejected by Spokane, Washington’s Police Department after an evaluation of the all-electric vehicle. They were not convinced about the usage for law enforcement once they saw the vehicle. Said, it is too small, and not designed for police work.
Despite several stories of success from Police Departments across the country and even internationally, Spokane’s Police Department brought plenty of concerns to the table. “They’re not a suitable police car. They are too small. They are not designed for police work,” Maj. Michael McNab said in a Spokane City Council meeting in late February. The Spokane Department was set to receive one Model Y crossover in early 2021 after it set aside time for determining infrastructure concerns like charging and receiving enough funding for the project. The synopsis of electric vehicles as police cruisers from the Department’s Major McNab seems to put the Spokane Police in a bit of an awkward situation. While the Department and local political leaders are interested in adding at least two electric vehicles to their fleet this year, Teslas seemed to fall short in their reviews of the vehicle.
New vehicles
In total, the Spokane PD will buy 64 new vehicles this year, hoping to eventually transition to less combustion engine vehicles and more electric ones. But, another manufacturer will likely be producing the EV police cruisers. There are plenty of options moving forward and it could be better. Luckily, the EV sector is not confined to a few options like it was several years ago. In 2018, mass-market and affordable EVs were few and far between: the Chevrolet Bolt EV was the United States’ most-popular electric car. That is, until Tesla ramped Model 3 production that year, basically catalyzing the rest of the automotive industry to get moving on plans for electrified options.
Now in 2022, there are several vehicles on the market that offer sustainability and the necessities for a police cruiser. While the Model 3, Model Y, and Model S from Tesla have all made their way into law enforcement agencies across the country, the Mustang Mach-E from Ford is also being considered by several departments, including one in Michigan and another in Europe.
Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs told the Department that other options are available, but it is imperative the Department moves toward electric options as State and City laws require the transition “whenever feasible,” according to the Spokane Review. “If the Tesla isn’t the one you want, pick some you would like and try them out,” Beggs said during the City Council meeting. EVs are a focus of Beggs, who suggested other electric options, like Ford’s upcoming F-150 Lightning pickup. “Things continue to evolve. There are better and better options,” Beggs said.
Credits- Teslarati