The department began researching electric vehicles last year after finding unfavorable reviews of the hybrid patrol cars that were available then.
An early cost comparison — done more than a year ago when the city could buy gasoline for $1.75 a gallon — put energy costs for the city’s current Ford Explorer Patrol SUV at roughly $4,500 a year.
A Tesla, based on the 2021 price per kilowatt hour, was much cheaper: $648 a year in energy costs.
When the City Council agreed to move forward last August, officials said Tesla’s base cost was just over $52,000, compared to just under $40,000 for the Ford Explorer. But the maintenance costs were significantly higher for the Explorer. The Tesla’s service life is expected to be four years, a year longer than the Explorer.
“I think electric vehicles are going to be the future and this is going to be a good foundation for us,” Capt. Kirt Yoder, the agency’s project manager, said in a news release. “Some officers have concerns because this is a smaller vehicle and the extra equipment (of a patrol car) eats into their work space, but others are excited for the new technology.”
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