Cleaner Police Patrols: Law Enforcement Fleets Add ZEVs

Whether it's done because of a local green fleet mandate or in an effort to test the emission-slashing waters, law enforcement agencies across the country are continually adding more low- and zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) to their fleets. Here's a roundup of some of the latest fleets to make the move toward cleaner fleets.

California PD Replacing Entire Fleet with Teslas

The South Pasadena, California, Police Department recently received a nearly $500,000 grant to replace its entire fleet with a fleet of Teslas. The deputy city manager told Government Fleet that it's part of an infrastructure project that was approved by the city council in 2022.

The City Hall Electrification Project, approved in September 2022, focuses on electrification and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure at the South Pasadena City Hall, as well as the transition of the police fleet to EVs.

The city leased 20 Teslas to complete the transition of its entire police fleet to EVs. The lease includes:

• 10 Tesla Model 3s.
• 10 Tesla Model Ys.

The vehicles will be used for administrative, detective, and patrol duties. They are currently undergoing the upfitting process.

The city is purchasing the charging infrastructure, while Southern California Edison is making infrastructure investments and improvements to the site at City Hall through its ChargeReady program. There will be 34 charging sites available for the police fleet, other city employees, and residents.

The city manager believes South Pasadena is the first police agency in the nation to fully transition to an all-Tesla fleet.

California PD Begins EV Transition with Ford F-150 Lightning SSVs

The Fort Bragg, California, Police Department recently took delivery of the first of four fully outfitted 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Special Service Vehicles (SSVs) this month. It's one of two that arrived in April. The other is still being outfited.

The department made the purchase through grants and the vehicle replacement budget, according to the Fort Bragg Advocate-News.

This will represent half of the patrol fleet and the beginning of the department's transition to EVs.

"We are committing to having a fully electric patrol fleet within the next three years. The purchase of four F-150 Lightnings put us much closer to that goal," Police Chief Neil Cervenka told Government Fleet. "Grants are plentiful now, but I feared they will dwindle as the years go on. It is evident government, specifically law enforcement, will be urged to move to electrification. Poor MPG and emissions from hours idling make police cars and obvious target. I wanted to get Fort Bragg ahead of the curve and start now. Not with one test vehicle, but a commitment to change the entire fleet. There is a learning curve as there is with any new product or program. With change comes challenge."

Cervenka told the Advocate-News that the vehicles are expected to lead to savings through reduced maintenance costs.

Washington PD Receives State's First Ford F-150 Lightning for Police Use

The East Wenatchee, Washington, Police Department has a new Ford F-150 Lightning in its fleet. The department believes it's the first Lightning be used for police duties in the state.

KPQ reported that the marked vehicle is fully outfitted with police equipment, including a transport cage. It will be used by one of the police sergeants for patrol duty.

The truck is part of a pilot program with the Douglas County Public Utilities District (PUD). The department partnered with PUD for the charging infrastructure and graphics. It is seeking grant funding to expand the infrastructure.

Chief Rick Johnson told KPQ that while he doesn't believe the department can realistically electrify its entire fleet of 23 vehicles, he is watching the Lightning's performance to see whether to add any additional EVs.

Michigan PD Uses ARPA Funds to Purchase 20 Hybrids, Update Color Scheme

The Westland, Michigan, Police Department announced that it purchased 20 Ford Police Interceptor Utility (PIU) Hybrid vehicles using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Each new vehicle features a 3.3-liter hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) engine with 318 combined hp. The next generation engines are approximately 25% more fuel efficient than Westland’s previous fleet vehicles, the city reported.

The department also opted to update its color scheme, switching to Ford's carbonized gray. This will be the first time in the department’s history that the fleet has used gray, with all of the previous lines being black, white, or silver.

The patrol cars will be outfitted with all-new technology to allow officers to have access to as much information as possible while on patrol or responding to incidents.

“We are very proud to have one of the first police departments in the area to take the eco-friendly step of transitioning to hybrid patrol cars, and is a major achievement in our city wide commitment to responsibly moving to earth friendly practices”, Mayor Michael P. Londeau said.