It is a known fact that Law Enforcement agencies and emergency services require special vehicles to be able to effectively attend to the civilian population and provide public safety and health. Each department has different needs, so it’s no surprise that a variety of cars can be used to fulfill different purposes. But there’s one thing that they all have in common: they need customized, functional and reliable emergency vehicles.

In the past few years, law enforcement agencies throughout America have started using electric cars to improve their fleet, namely Tesla models. That, of course, has been raising a lot of questions about their efficiency and worth as emergency service vehicles, so today we are going to get into that.

One of the first hesitations regarding Teslas as patrol vehicles is if they have a future for Law Enforcement agencies, and our answer to that is yes, there is a place for the vehicle. Currently, however, we feel that it’s best suited for an administration role due to their 12vdc power limitations.

From the customization point of view, Tesla is a good vehicle to be upfitted and it is actually very simple to work on. We must keep in mind, though, that since it is not a full-fledged police vehicle, there are some products that are not available, so it relies on an upfitter with a capable design and fabrication team to make things work as they should.

That’s where 10-75 Emergency Vehicles can help: with over 15 years of experience in the market and a full team of sales and service representatives serving in Public Safety Sectors, we understand the complexity of scenes and the different purposes your vehicle may serve, so we know how to help you build your patrol car as you need it.

In addition, 10-75 Emergency Vehicles has experience with upfitting a Tesla, having customized a 2021 Tesla Model Y into a patrol vehicle. In that specific case, we added a Soundoff Signal bluePRINT multiplex system, custom mpower shrouds, customer supplied radios, and Soundoff Signal mPower warning lights, but of course products are always upfitted according to the needs of each department.

Moving on, we now know that Teslas can be good Patrol Vehicles, but what are the pros and cons of having one? On one hand, Tesla offers long-term benefits, with very low maintenance and operational costs, which is very important to fleet managers. On the other hand, currently the car is limited to producing 20 amps of 12vdc from its batteries, and most models feature a glass roof, which can be a disadvantage. It is worth noting that it is also a smaller car, providing no space for cages, for example.

Regarding upfitting costs, although it may seem like it would be more expensive to upfit a Tesla than, let’s say, a Chevy or Ford, that is not necessarily the case: the component cost for upfitting them is relatively the same. What can be more expensive are custom designed products, but that depends on what you are looking to accomplish.

We have covered the pros and cons of having a Tesla as a patrol vehicle and the cost for upfitting it, but what about the time frame? The turn around times are relatively the same, depending on custom designed products. The main issue here would be the availability of products to fit in a Tesla. While there is premade equipment for the brand, which makes it easier, for some applications we may need to utilize our design and fabrication departments to manufacture parts for you, which could take a little longer.

Having said that, how do we see the future of Tesla’s vehicles in our factory? We think you are going to see more and more of these vehicles, but they are definitely not the end all solution. It all comes to your priorities and the purpose of your next patrol vehicle.

Do you still have questions about it? Please contact us 10-75 Emergency Vehicles at 877-614-7187 or through our website. Our team will be happy to help you!