Police chief explains how Tesla Model Y patrol car will save them $80,000

The police chief of Somerset in Wisconsin explained in detail why his police department decided to go electric with a Tesla Model Y patrol car and how he expects the single electric vehicle will save the town $80,000.

There are an impressive number of police departments around the world realizing that electric vehicles are the perfect solution to both reduce the operating cost and the environmental impact of their patrol vehicles.

The Somerset PD is one of those police departments and, like many of the departments going electric, they went with Tesla vehicles – more specifically, the Model Y.

Joel Trepczyk, Somerset PD Chief, explained in detail the reasoning behind buying the Tesla Model Y.

He made it clear that they chose the Model Y for financial reasons. He said in an interview with Police 1 News:

We specifically choose the Tesla Model Y for the financial benefits. 

The chief listed the main benefits of the Model Y:

• No oil changes
• Regenerative braking
• Battery designed for 500,000 miles
• Drivetrain/motors designed for 1,000,000 miles
• Five-year/125,000 mile drivetrain and battery warranty
• Most are American-made vehicles
• Highest crash test rating
• Superior performance
• Long vehicle life

The Model Y cost the department $60,000, though they had some subsidies and help to acquire it, but more importantly, Trepczyk believes Somerset PD will save over $80,000 over 10 years thanks to these benefits to the cost of operation:

The vehicle was purchased using American Rescue Plan Act funds. We also applied funding from an LEA grant, as well as donations to the purchase. The purchase price of the vehicle was around $60,000. More importantly, it’s projected to save our village over $80,000 throughout its 10-year duty cycle.

The chief says that the officers are so far liking the Model Y and choosing it over the other patrol cars.

With about 300 miles of range, distance is not an issue. Most of the police department’s officers average 30 to 60 miles per shift. The department had a Tesla Wall Connector installed at the station where the vehicle can be charged when needed.

Here’s a look at the interior of the Somerset PD’s Tesla Model Y patrol vehicle:

Somerset PD is not the first police department that is finding EVs to be a much cheaper solution for patrol vehicles.

Even if the sticker price is higher, the cost of operation is so much cheaper that the vehicle pays for itself in no time.

A police department that purchased a Model 3 found that the difference in price with the usual Ford vehicle they would buy for police patrol can be paid for in 6 to 18 months depending on use.