Peel Police Evaluating Tesla For EV Cruiser Consideration

Peel Regional Police have just posted that the department is looking at moving toward electrifying its fleet further with the addition of electric models that could help reduce its carbon footprint as well as potentially reducing operating costs.

Thought the department, which handles policing in an area including Brampton and Mississauga, ON, didn’t specify which brands or models of it had been looking at, the photo it released showed a Tesla Model 3 parked between a Ford Police Interceptor Utility and a Dodge Charger Enforcer that already belong to the department.

Peel Police have already added electrification to its fleet in the form of the Ford Interceptor Hybrid Utility, the police version of the Hybrid Ford Explorer that can help reduce engine idle emissions and uses, per Ford estimates, just 44 per cent as much fuel as the model it replaced.

“The Hybrid Utility checked off a lot of boxes for us,” said Mark Figueiredo, director of materials management for Peel Region. “When you think about the average police vehicle out there, specifically the engine hours, a lot of people don’t know that 65 per cent of those engine hours are spent idling. With the hybrid technology, all of those idling hours will be on battery.”

When it comes to electric vehicles, the department said that it would need to conduct more tests and trials of the models to ensure sufficient battery life for an officer’s shift as well as to ensure that it could handle the rigours and requirements of police work. For example, the Tesla Model 3 shown has just 60 per cent of the passenger space of the Ford, with much less room for cargo, extra computers, and for detainees in the rear. While the Model X offers more space, it’s also significantly more expensive.

“The range of the electric vehicle and total cost of ownership were compelling to us when this idea was first brought to us by Ryan Anstey from our Communications team; however, there are several other considerations that need to be addressed, including sufficient charging infrastructure, space for police equipment, and battery demand in the cold winters we have here in Ontario. This loaned vehicle will help us explore all of those considerations,” said Figueiredo. “Climate change is real, and we have to continuously innovate and adapt to do our part to preserve the planet for future generations.”

Peel Region wouldn’t be the first to try out EVs as patrol units, with other departments around the U.S. experimenting with the models. The City of Los Angeles is one of the most notable, purchasing a fleet of BMW i3 electrics, though those were primarily used for non-emergency purposes like community outreach and trips to court.

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