The police of Somerset, Wisconsin, has expanded its vehicle fleet with a Tesla Model Y. While the car itself is more expensive compared to the rest of the fleet, the department reckons it can save up to $80,000 in maintenance costs in the long run.
The news emerged as the police in the USA continues looking for ways to minimize spending. One way to cut costs would be to switch to electric vehicles. According to calculations, the traction battery should be good for around 500,000 miles (800,000 kilometers), while the rest of the powertrain should last them up to 1,000,000 miles (1,600,000 km).
The Head of Department in Somerset said that the economy was achieved by combining lower planned maintenance costs (e.g., long-lasting brake pads thanks to regenerative braking in EVs) with the lack of oil changes and frequent refuels. The official warranty for the transmission and the battery is 5 years or 125,000 miles (roughly 200,000 km), whichever comes first.
There is a caveat, though. The abovementioned savings amount of $80,000 was calculated as a grand total for ten years of use. ICE cars tend to serve the police less than that and are usually written off before they turn ten. If the police were to continue using these older cars instead, chances are it would be able to cut costs thanks to fewer new vehicle purchases.
As for the battery range of modern EVs, the law enforcers find it entirely adequate: a typical work day usually doesn’t involve nearly enough driving to run a Tesla battery dry. Still, for those rare emergencies, the department in Wisconsin installed a wall charger with quick-charge support.