--- title: "This Police Department’s New Cop Car is a Tesla" description: "Electric City: The Fremont Police Department announced that it will add a 2014 Tesla Model S cop car to its fleet of patrol vehicles." date: "2019-01-24" modified: "2019-01-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/fremont-police-department-tesla-model-s" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "model s" - "police" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # This Police Department’s New Cop Car is a Tesla ![The Fremont Police Department announced that it will add a 2014 Tesla Model S to its fleet of patrol vehicles — the same city where Teslas are built.]() *\Image: Fremont Police Department\* ## Perp Catcher Cops in Fremont, California are about to get a huge upgrade. The Department bought a 2014 Tesla Model S to replace an aging Dodge Charger. The idea is to find a new type of electric vehicle that could survive five years of active duty — while cutting emissions. ## Tesla Turf The single Model S might've been more expensive right off the bat, at just over $61,000 plus the costs of converting it into a fully-fledged police cruiser, according to [a press release](). Modifications include a "light bar, push bumper, and ballistic barriers." But savings in gas and maintenance could make it a lot cheaper for the Department over five years of use -- the average life cycle of such a vehicle. The Fremont Police Department has already installed a solar array on top of the Police Complex's carport to charge electric cars, including the new Tesla. And it has the potential make Fremont — where Tesla's factory is located — greener. Police Captain Sean Washington noted that "this program has the potential to eliminate 10 percent of all municipal greenhouse gas emissions" in the [press release](). ## Electric City Fremont isn't the first city to buy Teslas for its police. Basel, Switzerland added seven Model X SUVs to its fleet [in December](). Canada's Ontario Provincial Police also [showed off]() a converted Model X pursuit vehicle at last year's Canadian International Autoshow. Next time you're pulled over for speeding, you just might see a Tesla in your rear view mirror. **READ MORE:** [Tesla Model S police patrol vehicle is going to hit the road in Fremont, save over $30,000 in gas]() \[*Electrek*\] ***More on Tesla cop cars: [The Tesla Model X: Canada’s Future Police Recruit]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()