South Pasadena, a city in southern California, is making history by swapping its entire police fleet with Tesla cars as part of a green initiative. Let’s delve into the details of this exciting development.

Electrification of South Pasadena Police Force

The South Pasadena City Council approved the green initiative infrastructure project last year, in collaboration with Southern California Edison. Recently, a committee from the Air Quality Management District approved a grant of around $500,000 to fully replace the police fleet with electric vehicles (EVs). The city is leasing ten Model Y and ten Model 3 Tesla vehicles for 60 months.

Why Tesla was the Best Fit for South Pasadena PD

According to Domenica Megerdichian, the Deputy City Manager, “We looked at a number of options and many of our fleet are at end of life or nearing end of life.” The city selected Tesla EVs over other brands for the following reasons: excellent battery range, fast charging capabilities, low maintenance cost, and performance. Tesla cars have been used by other police departments in the US, including in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Fremont, California.

The Green Initiative

Apart from the electrification of the police fleet, South Pasadena’s green initiative involves building more EV charging stations. The charging stations will serve both the public and the city’s use. The project is set to be completed by the end of 2024, according to Megerdichian. In line with the city’s vision statement, “we are committed to an environmentally stable future.” The switch to EVs is a part of South Pasadena’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and promote clean energy.

What’s Next?

South Pasadena residents can expect to see the new police Teslas patrolling the streets within the next month or so. The electrification of the police fleet is an important step towards reducing South Pasadena’s carbon footprint. Other cities will likely follow suit as other police departments are now seeing the benefits of switching to electric vehicles.