California Municipality to Purchase 3 Teslas for Police Department

The City of Menlo Park, California, council has agreed to purchase three Tesla Model Ys for police use.

The vehicles will be part of a police patrol decarbonization pilot program, in which the city plans to transition to an all-electric patrol fleet by 2023. Each Model Y is expected to cost the city approximately $115,000, including police modifications.

According to a staff report regarding the purchase, the city could expect delays for vehicle deliveries, with timelines close to August 2022. As a result, this may impact “the feasibility of collecting evidence necessary to inform the conversion of patrol vehicles to all electric, or result in project cost overruns,” the report stated.