A police department in California has gone fully electric and has sidelined all gas-powered vehicles while rolling out its fully electric fleet.
“The city of South Pasadena celebrated its new fleet of police vehicles Monday, making it the first city in the nation to go all-electric,” CBS News reported, noting the effort was started with the city council ten years ago.
(Video Credit: KCAL News)
According to a press release, the fleet is made up of 20 Teslas, including 10 Model Ys and 10 Model 3s. The transition is expected to save about $4,000 a year per vehicle, according to officials.
The SPPD “became the nation’s first law enforcement agency to completely replace its gas-powered vehicles with non-polluting electric vehicles,” the city said.
“This transition reflects the city’s vision of a sustainable future based on both sound fiscal management and environmental stewardship,” Mayor Evelyn Zneimer said in a statement.
“These police cars have been meticulously designed with a focus on safety, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility,” South Pasadena Police Chief Brian Solinsky said.
“Projects like this will inspire others to take steps toward clean energy,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said. “The South Pasadena Police Department is truly, truly the gold standard.”
In addition, 34 new electric vehicle chargers were installed at South Pasadena City Hall along with a “solar-powered system with battery storage.”
#CleanEnergyFuture The City of South Pasadena unveiled the nation’s first all-electric #police car fleet today, partnering with SCE’s Charge Ready program (https://t.co/OSMPm0UD6h) on new charging infrastructure to support @SouthPasPD‘s groundbreaking fleet of @Tesla cars. pic.twitter.com/tbYIxI8gNW
— SCE (@SCE) July 30, 2024
“Finishing the job of cleaning up the region’s unhealthy smog and protecting our atmosphere will require wholesale adoption of vehicles that produce no emissions while driving,” South Pasadena Councilman Michael Cacciotti said in a statement. “We have been working on this for over a decade. We finally got it right and the future for municipalities across the country is clear. Partnering is the way to get big ideas done. Our city is helping to make that a reality today.”
“Switching to these vehicles offers the Police Department the opportunity to acquire a cutting-edge vehicle fleet,” Solinsky said in a statement. “This initiative not only ensures the safest vehicles for officers and staff but also leads to substantial reductions in both fuel and maintenance costs.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.