By Police1 Staff
LOS ANGELES — Tesla is looking to expand its market and is testing their electric cars with police departments, NBC News reported.
The company’s Model S P85D has undergone testing by the Los Angeles Police Department for nearly a year.
“Tesla definitely stepped up and gave us the Model S to do some evaluation with them,” LAPD Police Administrator Vartan Yegiyan told the news site.
The car company wants to test the vehicle’s performance in a law enforcement environment — including high-speed pursuits — and evaluate the pros and cons of having their vehicles in an agency’s fleet.
Although the current price — $100,000 MSRP — is a barrier, the LAPD isn’t ruling out Tesla or other companies’ electric cars as a future option.
“Is it practical now? No,” Yegiyan said. “Over the next three to five years ... not only will the industry push toward electrification, but prices will drop on vehicles. More models will be coming out, and the electricity and electrical grid will become more robust, and more charging stations will be available.”
Ford currently dominates the law enforcement patrol vehicle market with 61 percent share and doesn’t intend to give it up, Ford police and ambulance fleet supervisor Randy Freiburger told NBC News.
The top-selling Ford Explorer Interceptor SUV has a retail price of $30,000, but can cost an additional $50,000 when customized for departments.