'Nearly unusable': Calif. police majorly push back on Tesla cop cars

[ZLoth]

From SF Gate:

'Nearly unusable': Calif. police majorly push back on Tesla cop cars

In September 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom used the power of the pen to mandate that by 2035, all vehicles sold in California be zero-emission. It's been four years and a mixed bag. Electric vehicle sales are declining, the number of chargers is growing but still woefully low, and there are growing concerns the state's power grid won't keep up with future demand.

Despite these bumps in the road, many municipalities and organizations throughout the state are leading by example. Los Angeles committed to transitioning its 10,000-vehicle fleet to electric. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has begun replacing aging gasoline buses with electric ones. In August, multiple major media outlets fawned over the South Pasadena Police Department's adoption of an all-Tesla police fleet, the first all-electric police force in the country.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[kurumi]

There's an interesting coda about electric F-150s being a good fit for Fort Bragg, CA: vehicle profile, comparative ease of outfitting and repair, etc. There are about 300-400k police vehicles in the US (estimated), maybe not enough for a purpose-built model, but the F-150 gets closer.

[mgk920]

Right now the only rubber tired 'all electric!' transit vehicles that I would fully trust in California are SFO MUNI's 'trackless' trolleybuses.

Mike

[LilianaUwU]

GASP

I'm shocked that Teslas suck!

[formulanone]

They're a great idea for times when they just have to sit idle for a few hours, especially in high foot-traffic outdoor areas when wasted ICE fumes are not desirable. Though the ones with 5% battery life should be relegated to speed trap duty as punishment.

Everything else, somewhere between "not so much" and "terrible idea".  And that's not even getting into the wear-and-tear of a Tesla, and its higher costs for repairs, compared to most patrol vehicles.

[Max Rockatansky]

Tesla isn't going to work for most police departments since they almost all want body on frame vehicles. 

[SectorZ]

Tesla isn't going to work for most police departments since they almost all want body on frame vehicles. 

To the point that this is collectively bargained every new contract in many places.

[Road Hog]

The marketplace will decide how EVs fare in the future. Governments won't. If we get to 2035 and ICE dealerships outnumber casinos at the Nevada border, then you'll have your answer.

[Max Rockatansky]

The marketplace will decide how EVs fare in the future. Governments won't. If we get to 2035 and ICE dealerships outnumber casinos at the Nevada border, then you'll have your answer.

Problem is that there is an existing precedent to allow states to set their own vehicle emission rules.  If the Malaise Era is any indication the automotive market in California is in for rough times come 2035.  Let us not forget, in the past certain cars and engines were not available in this state nor others that followed California emissions.  Probably the most famous example would be California second generation Trans Ams getting the Oldsmobile 403 here because the Pontiac 400 couldn't meet regs. 

I am fascinated at the governor's recent contradiction in vetoing the on-board speed warning law.  The justification for the veto was that setting safety regulations should be the domain of the Federal Government. 

[jeffandnicole]

GASP

I'm shocked that Teslas suck!

Nothing in the article said Teslas suck.

Let's start with this blurb:

Teslas are not equipped to handle the demands of modern policing. Studies have shown the U.S. transportation sector contributes 29% of the country's overall greenhouse gas emissions. If law enforcement can't rely on the most commercially available EVs in this push toward a greener future, it casts doubt on how realistic Newsom's push really is."

What does the US Transportation sector contributing 29% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions have to do with modern policing?  What does this have to do with reliance on EVs? The three thoughts have nothing to do with each other.

No car manufacturers produce vehicles that are already ready for patrol, and transforming a commercially sold Tesla into a crime-fighting machine is no small feat. Beyond the standard emergency lights, sirens, radio, antenna, push bar, partition and gun rack that are added to the car, the vehicle gets a serious upgrade with ballistic panels to toughen it up for the streets, according to a report prepared by a different California city that investigated adopting Teslas for police use.

Modification companies that work with cops know legacy brands like Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge well because the cars have a long-standing history of being used by police. They know each car manufacturer's platforms and idiosyncrasies and have developed modification kits to outfit a standard cop car.

One reason why modifying a Tesla to be used as a police vehicle is so expensive...is because it's not normally used as a police vehicle.  Notice what other car brands aren't often used as police vehicles?  Hondas. Toyotas. Nissans. Those 3 brands have decent reputations and would hardly be known as sucky vehicles (ok, maybe Nissans, but I digress).  They're simply not used as police vehicles, at least in the US.  If a department decided to purchase a bunch of Hondas, they would experience the same expense issues because it would require unique upgrades not often made.

With an all-Tesla police force, Crook believes incidents involving more than one party will require more officers to respond with more cars, putting strain on resources, all because of the tiny back seat. 

Police are often required to transport suspects, witnesses or victims for cases they're working, sometimes for long distances. Crook remembered a case where his detectives drove 630 miles to Mexico to transport a potentially dangerous subject in their vehicle. If the detectives were in a Tesla, Crook noted they would have had to spend an hour in the middle of the drive at an unsecured public charging station standing guard over the person, something that would not happen with an internal combustion engine.

Again, it's not because Tesla's suck, it's because it's not the best vehicle for the job.  Police departments have pickup trucks they use for police work.  Not an appropriate vehicle to drive 600 miles in to pick up a suspect though.  New York City police have Smart Cars as police cars. Again, not an appropriate vehicle to drive to Mexico to pick up suspects. 

As far as stopping at an unsecured charging station - is the article making the assumption that there are no police departments along the route without a charging station?  If CA is mandating police departments drive EVs, wouldn't that mean that *every* police department would need to tie up public charging stations?  What would a cop do with an ICE vehicle - stop at a public gas station, or go to a private secured facility?  Does the cop eat or use the bathroom along the route?  How is that handled currently with a suspect?  A 10 hour drive requires stops, regardless of the vehicle in use.

California doesn't have a mandate to require the purchase of Teslas.  They have a mandate to require purchases of EVs.  And some EVs will be better equipped for police work.

3 police chiefs were interviewed; hardly a "major push back". This article is basically another "Hey, let's bash Tesla again" article.  I get it - people don't like EVs.  But the article intends to mislead readers rather than highlight agencies that may be successfully using EVs.

[LilianaUwU]

I'm perfectly fine with EVs. I only hate Tesla for their business practices and the whole thing with Elon "I have multiple X wives" Musk.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm fine with EVs.  All the same, I would prefer they proliferate naturally based on technological progression and consumer trends.  The "vague plan" for PHEVs isn't clearly defined.  It likely will just price out new cars as something everyone can afford near term.

Tesla just isn't a brand for me.  I'm not a tech/gizmo person which I feel is the main reason they don't really appeal to me.  It doesn't help that a lot of snobs that used to occupy the 3 Series demographic comprise a large percentage of the Tesla consumer base.

Regarding Elon Musk, most of what I've heard about him has come from this forum.  He wasn't very compelling of a public figure before my time on the forum and still isn't.

[Scott5114]

The marketplace will decide how EVs fare in the future. Governments won't. If we get to 2035 and ICE dealerships outnumber casinos at the Nevada border, then you'll have your answer.

Sounds like something Minden would do either way, to be honest.

Clark County rather likes electric vehicles, from what I can tell. I see quite a few Teslas, and even a few Cyberdumpsters, around town. (I'm sure there are other makes of electric vehicle out and about too, but those aren't as easy to spot.)

Nevada in general seems to be in a state of "cautious embrace" of them—while they're popular in Clark County (and I think Washoe too based on what I saw), it's (nearly?) impossible to use them to get between Clark County and any of the cities in the other 16 counties due to not enough chargers. That kind of puts a damper on the state providing more of an incentive on them.

[MikieTimT]

Emergency vehicle equipment outfitters, and there's not that many of them, tend to put packages together for only a few vehicles each generation.  Teslas aren't exactly put together with standard OEM gas vehicle components or electrical systems, so everything put in them would need to be cobbled onto the 12V system, which likely isn't spec'd to severe duty police interceptor standards.

Police vehicles tend toward severe duty cycles, so repairability is a key aspect of any vehicle selected.  Not exactly Tesla's, or any EV manufacturer, forté.  Spare body parts are expensive and hard to source, and police work tends to compress body parts over time.  Insurance companies hate them for this reason as well and make it more expensive to ensure, and EVs have had insurance coverage revoked or not renewed as a result, even though police forces don't have the same insurance coverage the general public does.

Being the fan of YouTube police chase videos I am, California has a little different take on how police pursuits are conducted compared to my home state of Arkansas.  I can't understand how something like the O.J. Simpson pursuit would be tolerated, as in Arkansas, it would have ended rather quickly, and with lots of sailor language.  EVs don't have much range in pursuits to have them run for long periods of time.  And using them for PIT/TVI maneuvers would tend to burn through a precious storehouse of body parts.

I can see why they'd consider them nearly unusable despite their acceleration and emissions benefits.

[Max Rockatansky]

Meanwhile in Irvine, they bought the new age Pontiac Aztec to promote D.A.R.E.

https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2024-10-10/new-150k-cybertruck-to-support-irvine-polices-d-a-r-e-outreach-meets-mixed-reactions

[Scott5114]

Meanwhile in Irvine, they bought the new age Pontiac Aztec to promote D.A.R.E.

That's mean to the Aztec, which at least was held together by something more substantial than glue.