Tesla Model S Fremont PD police cruiser is complete and ready for duty

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The Fremont Police Department’s held a media event on Wednesday to debut its latest Tesla Model S police car. The modified 2014 Model S 85 will be utilized by the Fremont PD as a regular patrol car, as part of the city’s initiatives to reduce emissions.

The Model S police cruiser is daunting to behold. The Model S is already a rather large vehicle, and if it’s equipped with police equipment, it certainly looks the part of a challenging vehicle that chases down criminals as part of its daily routine. Fremont PD notes that it spent around $4,000 in modifications to make the auto prepared for police duty. These include an overhead light bar, rear flashers, an in-vehicle camera, a push-bumper, partitions between the front seat and rear, and front doors that are replaced with armored panels. The automobile ’s luxurious back seats are changed into a smooth plastic captive seat, due to the tendency of some people to make a mess in the rear of the car.

Media Advisory – Media Event for New Zero-emissions Tesla Patrol Vehicle:Wednesday, March 6, 20199:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Civic Center @ Stevenson Blvd. – Upper parking lot between PD & LibraryRain or ShineMore Info: https://t.co/uoql8Naohohttps://t.co/oZzHYFKnue pic.twitter.com/mADDpWuVPh

— Fremont Police Department (@FremontPD) March 5, 2019

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The modification of the 2014 Model S 85 was done under Tesla’s supervision. Engineers from the company were consulted to make sure that no sensitive parts of the vehicle got damaged as police equipment was installed. The electric vehicle maker also disabled the Model S’ driver-assist features like Autopilot and Autopark.

While the upfront cost of the Model S patrol car exceeds that of conventional gas-guzzling police vehicles, Fremont PD anticipates the electric sedan to give significant savings in maintenance and gas. Talking to KCBS News, Mark Collins, the department’s fleet maintenance manager, also added that the Tesla Model S’ raw power will come in handy during police work. “The speed is better from the electric models. That’ll get them right on them quicker and faster,” he said.

Talking to Mashable, Fremont police Capt. Sean Washington noted that if the Model S 85 proves to be a successful police vehicle, Fremont PD could purchase an additional 10 electric cars, another 20. Washington also stated that a mostly-electric authorities fleet is a sensible idea for the future, since electric vehicle technology is advancing at a fast pace.

Tesla is on its way to becoming a mass-market automobile maker with the $35,000 Model 3. Once the company learns how to make vehicles at scale, it may begin producing “police bundle ” versions (bare-bones units that can be readily modified with police equipment) automobiles as part of its offerings. The Model 3 and the upcoming Model Y will actually be a good choice for police duty, since the vehicles have all of the advantages of high-end electric cars like instant torque and fast acceleration while being priced competitively with mainstream vehicles.

The post Tesla Model S Fremont PD police cruiser is complete and ready for duty appeared initially on TESLARATI.com.

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