South Pasadena Is First City with All Electric Police Cars

In July, South Pasadena, California, became the first city in the U.S. to launch an all-electric police car fleet when it replaced its entire fleet of gas-powered vehicles with electric Teslas, including 10 Model Ys for patrol and 10 Model 3s for detective and administrative duties. This transition, supported by grants and local energy providers, includes the installation of 34 EV chargers at City Hall and solar panels with battery storage to ensure power reliability.

The shift signals a new paradigm for police organizations, which have historically been hesitant to transition from gasoline to electric vehicles due to concerns about range limitations, potential charging challenges during power outages, and doubts about the reliability of new technology. However, those reservations are now shifting.

The move to electric vehicles will save the city approximately $4,000 per vehicle annually on fuel costs and significantly reduce maintenance costs. This shift also reduces emissions in a region that struggles with some of the worst air pollution in the U.S.

Other cities like Fremont, California, Falmouth, Massachusetts, Hyattsville, Maryland, and Anaheim, California have also integrated some electric vehicles into their fleets, though South Pasadena is the only one to go fully electric to date.

THE TAKEAWAY

It’s worth noting that while these cities have made strides in incorporating electric vehicles, South Pasadena remains the only city in the United States with a completely electric police fleet as of September 2024

Sources: EV Car Answers Editors, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity