Image: Logan Police Department
The Easthampton Police Department is adding two 2022 Tesla Model Y electric vehicles to its fleet. The choice was obvious, as the vehicles have a five-star safety rating, so they are able to protect officers while on duty.
Police departments are increasingly choosing Tesla vehicles as they have proven to be reliable, economical, and high performance. The Easthampton Police Department has also decided to add two 2022 Tesla Model Ys to its fleet, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette (via Drive Tesla Canada).
The Model Ys will replace two gas-powered Ford Interceptor SUVs (2014 and 2016 models). Conservation Agent Cassie Tragert expects the city to save about $5,600 in annual gas costs and cut gasoline consumption by 1,858 gallons each year. The car purchase is part of the city's commitment to upgrading all of its municipal vehicles to the most fuel-efficient ones.
“As a green community, we need to keep pursuing avenues to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. Switching as many cars as we can to electric vehicles is a positive thing we can do in that favor,” Tragert said.
The City Council held a public hearing on May 18 to approve an appropriation of $89,864 of spare cash to purchase one Tesla Model Y for $56,940, upgrade it for the department for $24,129, and to install two electric vehicle charging stations for $8,795. Funding for the purchase of the second vehicle will come from the Police Department’s federal drug forfeiture account. The City also received $15,000 through the State Department of Energy Resources Green Community Competitive Grant Program to purchase two Tesla vehicles.
Police Chief Robert Alberti said one of the vehicles would be used primarily for the department's traffic bureau and the other for the administrative unit or detective bureau. The cars will be ordered next week.
Tesla vehicles were chosen for their ability to meet police department requirements while still being fully electric, Tragert said. “This was the first electric vehicle that came with a five-star crash rating,” Alberti said. “It's paramount that our officers are safe. Period.”
© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.
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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.
