Photos: Boulder County
A Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD was purchased by Boulder Sheriff's Office for use as a patrol vehicle. It is estimated that the EV will pay for the difference in purchase price with the Ford Police Interceptor (PI) in 6-18 months. The Model Y will significantly reduce fuel and maintenance costs, making it the ultimate choice in the long run.
On August 16, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office in Colorado announced that, with the support of Boulder County Commissioners, it will begin testing a 2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD as a patrol vehicle. The sheriff said he is well aware that many people perceive Tesla cars as “luxury cars,” but Tesla continues to make them more affordable every year in pursuit of its mission. Tesla vehicles deliver high performance, with exceptional safety and reliability.
Although the initial cost of the Tesla is higher than the Ford PI SUV, research and evidence compiled by the sheriff's office showed that the initial cost difference would be offset within 6-18 months due to the Model Y's significantly lower operating and owning costs. They stated that law enforcement vehicles spend a lot of time idling and suddenly start moving, which for ICE vehicles consumes significant amounts of fossil fuels and leads to significant wear on engine components.
The data collected showed that, over the average life of a patrol car—about five years or 105,000 miles—Ford PI fuel and maintenance costs are approximately $0.187 per mile traveled. Meanwhile, Tesla Model Y's O&M costs are approximately $0.029 per mile. That equates to roughly $19,635 for fuel and maintenance for the Ford PI SUV, compared to $3,045 for the Tesla Model Y. The difference in cost is enormous.
"Due to the simplicity of design and lack of moving parts, the Tesla is also expected to have a much longer service life than its internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts."
Boulder County strives to be green in all of its operations, which is why it became one of the first police agencies in Colorado to introduce Tesla Model Y into its patrol fleet. The car will be charged with electricity from solar panels, which will further reduce its carbon footprint. For those concerned about the environmental impact of batteries, 100% of Tesla battery components are recycled when the battery pack reaches the end of its vehicle's useful life, which is expected to be over 500,000 miles.
The car was fitted with official Boulder County Sheriff's Office decals, as well as a complete set of emergency equipment that is used in many of their other vehicles. It will be primarily designed for traffic control and will also be extensively tested to explore its potential for other applications in the sheriff's office.
Prior to purchasing, the county office researched electric vehicle offerings from other manufacturers on the market, but they were ultimately excluded from consideration due to significantly higher prices, lack of availability and/or technical specifications that did not meet the needs of the police.
© 2021, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
