Peel Police considering going electric with Tesla cruisers
Posted February 18, 2021 6:10 pm.
Last Updated February 18, 2021 7:00 pm.
Peel Regional Police have climate change on the mind.
They’re thinking about going electric with Tesla police cars in the future and testing out a loaned car to help them decide.
Exploring the Future of Police Cars – https://t.co/uRjyQdyrx7 pic.twitter.com/VPej4GKI1g
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) February 18, 2021
In a release, Peel Regional Police say they tested out a hybrid car last year with some of their officers, specifically the Ford Interceptor Hybrid Utility. While they were happy with the car, their main focus is minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mark Figueiredo, the force’s Director of Materials Management, tells 680 NEWS “when you look at the average police car, 65% of the engine hours are actually spent idling.” With a hybrid battery, those idling hours would be mostly on battery. With an electric car, they eliminate the need for gasoline, bringing down greenhouse gas emissions.
“The days of efficient patrol cars could soon be a reality in a city near you and provide quite a surprise when the blue and red lights come on and you realize it’s an electric vehicle!” Peel police, say.
Figueiredo adds these electric vehicles would have a silent engine, thus wouldn’t be heard by anyone on the streets. However, the cars would still retain the Peel Police decal, so they would be recognizable by sight. So there could be a lot of red and blue surprise appearances on the streets of Peel Region.
They haven’t committed to fully going electric yet, as they still have a lot of tests to undergo. These include “charging infrastructure, space for police equipment, and battery demand in the cold winters we have in Ontario,” according to Figueiredo.
