South Pasadena aims to combat L.A. smog and hopes to reduce operating costs by 50%
A city in Southern California has become the first in the nation to replace its police patrol cars with electric vehicles, officials announced Monday, unveiling a fleet of 20 new Teslas.
South Pasadena, on the edge of Los Angeles, will replace its gas-guzzling police cruisers with Teslas to help protect public health and fight climate change by reducing emissions. The Teslas will use new electric vehicle chargers installed at City Hall, officials said.
Police vehicles typically idle more than other vehicles when officers make traffic stops or respond to emergency calls, which significantly adds to emissions, said Michael Cacciotti, a city councilmember and regional air quality official.
“This is important, particularly in the Los Angeles area, which still has the most unhealthful air in the nation,” Cacciotti said. “We hope other police departments in the region and state will make the switch, too.”
Other cities have some electric vehicles in their fleets, but South Pasadena is the first to go entirely electric, officials said. The police department in nearby Anaheim introduced six Teslas to its patrol fleet through a pilot program earlier this year.
South Pasadena Police Sgt. Tony Abdalla mentioned in an email that they were tracking about 35 other agencies across the U.S. willing to share their experiences with incorporating one or more Teslas into their fleets.
The police department will have 10 Tesla Model Ys as patrol vehicles and 10 Tesla Model 3s for detective and administrative duties, all customized for police use. The city’s net cost is $1.85 million, with more than half the total cost covered by energy providers Southern California Edison, the Clean Power Alliance, and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee.
“We will have a 21st-century police force that is safe, clean, and saves taxpayer dollars,” South Pasadena Mayor Evelyn Zneimer stated in a news release.
The transition to electric vehicles is expected to save South Pasadena approximately $4,000 annually per vehicle in energy costs, and also reduce expenses for maintenance such as brakes, oil changes, and air filters, according to the news release. Police Chief Brian Solinsky noted that the overall operational cost per mile will be at least half of what it was with gas-powered vehicles.
The Los Angeles-Long Beach area is ranked as the worst in the country for ozone pollution—commonly known as smog—and sixth for annual particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association. Additionally, carbon dioxide emissions contribute to climate change, which is partly responsible for increasingly severe wildfires in the region.
California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule mandates that public agencies ensure 50% of their vehicle purchases are zero-emissions starting this year, with a goal of 100% by 2027. However, it does not apply to police cars and other emergency vehicles.
