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The Overwhelming Savings Of The Tesla Model Y For Police Departments

It is clear that an electric car is a powerful saving tool for situations in which intensive use of the vehicle is made for years; this is the case of cars belonging to municipal fleets, also including (depending on the jurisdiction) police fleets. This savings have been actually already estimated at an American police station with a Tesla Model Y, with which they hope to achieve more than significant savings, and by the way double on the usual life span of this type of vehicle.

Tesla Model Y, Courtesy of Tesla Inc.

On the table of the police department of Somerset, Wisconsin (USA), was the issue of renewing one of its vehicles with a hybrid Ford Explorer, or investing an additional 18,000 dollars to get a brand new Tesla Model Y. After doing the math, the numbers were overwhelming in favor of Tesla, despite a significant difference in purchase price. But the operational savings, as well as its longer duration, have basically convinced authorities to purchase the electric model.

According to the police department, on the one hand there is the fuel saving: 23 liters per 100 km for the old models, and 9.8 liters per 100 km for Ford hybrids, which cost $5,200 per year, per unit. Add to this the lower cost of maintenance, which adds up another $3,912 per year.

And it was precisely that low maintenance cost one of the main causes for this decision since, as indicated in the press release, in recent years maintenance costs have skyrocketed to such an extent that they have actually eaten up the budget for new purchases, getting to the point of having to allocate those funds to repair the existing internal combustion models.

Tesla Model Y, Courtesy of Tesla Inc.

As an example, the last retired Ford Police Interceptor accumulated more than $15,000 in maintenance and repairs in the five years of service, with an average consumption of over 20 liters per 100 km, and losing almost all its residual value after 160,000 km. That is why, in view of the extremely good results of other police forces in the United States, they decided to go for an electric car, again a brand new Tesla Model Y.

An option that they say makes more sense for the use that is given to it during patrols, which are usually carried out at low speed, with constant stops and sudden speed-ups, with many hours standing still doing surveillance work; but also without the toxic smoke typical of ICE cars that, according to the press release, was also already affecting the health of the agents, by leaking gases into the vehicle.

But all in all the economic part has undoubtedly been crucial: after subtracting the estimated cost in equipment and electrical consumption,department authorities expect that after 10 years, the electric car will basically allow them to achieve total savings of a staggering $83,810, which is about $18,810 more than what the car actually cost. These are the aspects that the police department took into account that basically convinced them of the purchase:

• No oil changes
• Regenerative braking
• Battery designed for 500,000 miles
• Drivetrain/motors designed for 1,000,000 miles
• 5 year / 125,000 mile drivetrain and battery warranty
• Most American Made Vehicle
• Highest Crash Test Rating
• Superior Performance
• Long Life Vehicle

Precisely the last one is one of the keys to the accounts, and that is that Tesla's life expectancy will be twice as long as compared to “ICE”, internal combustion models. In the case of the Ford ICE model, after 5 years in service it had to be replaced by a new one. In this case, the calculations estimate that the brand new Tesla Model Y will last at least 10 years in heavy-duty service.

Tesla Model Y, Courtesy of Tesla Inc.

These are characteristics that also make the leasing option much less interesting, and at the same time the financed purchase more interesting; the reasoning is simple: after four or five years the electric car can become property of the police department, and actually be in service without the financial cost. This is something very important if the useful life is expected to extend beyond 10 years.

It is expected that more police departments around the world begin to make this calculation in the short term, as electric cars are no longer a novelty, but a reality. The savings symbolized by this type of vehicle in daily tasks is undeniable, and it is of greater impact if it is an organization such as a police department, with an intensive daily use of the car for years.

Source: Somerset Police Department

All images courtesy of Tesla Inc.

Nico Caballero is the VP of Finance of Cogency Power, specializing in solar energy. He also holds a Diploma in Electric Cars from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and enjoys doing research about Tesla and EV batteries. He can be reached at @NicoTorqueNews on Twitter. Nico covers Tesla and electric vehicle latest happenings at Torque News.

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