The City’s Police Department has recently taken possession of two of five new vehicles for the department’s fleet. What’s unique about these vehicles though is they are electric vehicles (EVs) and four of them are manufactured by Tesla. The Tesla Model Ys were delivered last week. The city currently has twenty-three police patrol vehicles, with model years of 1999 through 2015, that will require replacement in coming years. The city’s Fleet Management Team did an analysis and arrived at the conclusion that replacement was the most cost-effective and safest option. Less than two percent of funds from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) was approved by the City Council to cover the cost of the replacement vehicles.
“This pilot program means that we can do an in-depth look at the EVs and determine if they are a good fit for our department,” said Boulder City Police Chief Tim Shea. The other vehicles ordered are two Tesla Model 3s and a Ford Mustang Mach-E. There are plans to move vehicles around to explore other EV applications within the City. There is no timeline on the pilot project at this time.
“The initial price on the electric vehicles is slightly higher than a traditional police interceptor, but fuel and maintenance savings over time make the true cost to own much less than a new Ford Interceptor,” said City Manager Taylour Tedder. “Because these cars are outfitted with 360-degree cameras, the city won’t need to spend as much outfitting the cars with cameras. Our objective is two-fold: the safety of our officers and to make sure all available officers are on the roads and visible to our residents.”
The waitlist for traditional, gas-powered police patrol cars is 9-12 months due to chip shortages and supply chain issues. That made the move to trying electric vehicles a timely decision. Residents can discuss the new Electric Vehicles with Commander Aaron Johnson at the next Coffee With a Cop on Thursday, September 8 at 9:00AM at Dam Roast House. The coffee shop and book store is located at 554 Nevada Way. You can email questions to Commander Johnson HERE.
