Somerset Police: Electric cars cheaper than combustion engines

The Somerset Police Department is one of the police stations active on Facebook. In addition to various (un)incidents, the officers also post their service vehicles. When the new service vehicle was announced, numerous questions from the community immediately arose. So many, in fact, that Police Chief Joel Trepczyk listed the most frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers, along with a cost accounting of an existing Ford Explorer and the Tesla Model Y.

In everyday police operations, repairs, consumption, and wear and tear are very high

Of course, the first question was "Why," which Trepczyk answered as follows:

"Since I started in Somerset in 2010, we've repeatedly had costly maintenance and repair problems with our fleet. Eventually, the repairs became so expensive that they prevented us from acquiring new vehicles. So we had to use the money that was intended for new vehicles to repair our aging fleet."

In 2019, the aging fleet had to be reduced from five to three vehicles, and a "not quite ideal" 2019 Ford Fusion Hybrid (specifically made for the police in the Ford program as a "Police Responder" – that is, a lead vehicle) was acquired. This was supposed to save fuel costs, which it did. According to Trepczyk, the previously used Ford Explorers averaged 10 miles per gallon – about 28.25 l/100 km, while the new Fusion Hybrid Squad (comparable to the German Ford Mondeo Plug-in-Hybrid) managed more than double that: 24 miles per gallon, still 11.77 l/100 km.

The problem with police vehicles is their unusual range of usage

However, a problem with police vehicles is their unusual usage: On patrol, they go long periods at low speeds, then suddenly accelerate and brake when needed, and when parked at the station, the engine often idles for hours – they must be ready to sprint at any moment. This often caused problems with the electrical system and the drivetrain in the old fleet.

The last Ford Police Interceptor Utility incurred maintenance and repair costs of over $15,000, with a depreciation of over $30,000 during its five-year, approximately 160,000-kilometer service plus high fuel consumption.

The Model Y is projected to save over $80,000 – but over a ten-year period

The Model Y cost $65,000 with police equipment – $18,000 more than a comparable Explorer. Trepczyk is also realistic about this: The Model Y will only become cheaper than the Explorer after the fourth year. However, since vehicles in Somerset now have to run significantly longer, savings will be made in the end. The Model Y was financed with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The $83,000 savings that Trepczyk projects result from an expected ten-year usage period, which is very high for a police vehicle. Actual savings may ultimately be lower if the Model Y starts having major issues earlier.

Electrification Definitely Saves

After all: The Fusion Hybrid already saved a lot of fuel, which is why Trepczyk and his team ordered the Tesla Model Y as the next patrol car. The main reasons for the savings he cited were that oil changes could be eliminated, the brakes would require less pad and disc changes thanks to recuperation, the battery should last 500,000 miles and the powertrain 1,000,000 miles. In addition, Tesla offers a five-year or 125,000-mile warranty on the powertrain and battery. And last but not least: Most Model Ys for the USA are also built there.

And the range? According to Trepczyk, it’s more than enough since most of his officers cover only about 50 to 100 kilometers per shift on patrol (most of it in cruising mode). Trepczyk's colleagues have freedom of vehicle choice in the fleet – but so far, the Model Y has been popular. One can be curious.

What Does That Mean?

A police car must above all be one thing: Robust! And that is not something Tesla is particularly known for. Regardless, the example in Somerset shows well how differently and fuel-intensively police vehicles are typically used – even in Europe. And especially in terms of consumption and maintenance, dramatic advantages could actually arise here, which is why we are somewhat surprised why the police in Europe have not already adopted electric vehicles more extensively.