- •A Police Tesla ran out of battery power during a pursuit
It’s not too often that you see police cruisers that are Teslas. In Dubai, they have a police force that uses supercars but it’s more of a community relations thing. Well in California one police department is using a Tesla Model S for a patrol car. The Fremont police department is conducting a six-month pilot program to test whether the car can decrease emissions and fuel consumption of the police department. Unfortunately, A Police Tesla ran out of battery power during a pursuit.
Well on one Friday evening an automatic plate reader picked up on a Toyota that was related to a recent felonious crime. That crime was reported in the nearby city of Santa Clara. The vehicle was later found in a local Autozone parking lot. Officer Jesse Hartman located the vehicle while he was driving the department’s Tesla.
Hartman tried to stop the vehicle but a pursuit ensued. “I lit him up and he is not yielding. We are in pursuit,” Hartman stated. During the pursuit, the two vehicles reached speeds of well over 100mph. As they approached San Jose the local police department of the area was notified. They enlisted they helicopter to aid in the pursuit.
As they reached closer to the city the Tesla vehicle notified Hartman that there were only 6 miles left on the battery. It turns out that the vehicle was at a shop earlier that day for a flat repair. The vehicle was fixed but was never put back on the charger. Hartman notified the other officers and requested that someone else take over the pursuit.
The California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit but fell back after the suspect began driving erratically. He was swerving in and out of traffic. Soon after he crossed the median into oncoming traffic. Because of the safety concerns of other drivers the chase was called off.
After further searching the abandoned Toyota was found a couple of miles off the highway. Although they searched for the suspect there was no one to be found.
Usually, the fully charged Tesla battery lasts two shifts. On a regular shift officers usually drive 70-90 miles. But because more of the energy was used during the chase the battery lost power much quicker. It is probably safe to say the chase may have ended up different if the car was running on a full charge. Let us know what you think in the comments below!