One Minnesota city is taking the leap into the future by rolling out its first fully electric police car.

Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis, is hitting the road with its new 2021 Tesla Model Y police cruiser, the nearly $40,000 car is beginning a 100,000-mile test that will be monitored closely for its overall performance.

Police cars make up a large part of any city's automobile fleet, and for many reasons, it's not easy to just convert any vehicle into a police car. First off, police wear a lot of gear, so they need to be able to get in and out of the police car easily, and quickly. They also need to be able to transport criminals, drive a lot of miles, and have the performance to get from point A to point B quickly and safely.

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Until the Tesla Model Y was available, no other fully electric car was able to meet the strict criteria needed by police agencies. The fully electric cars are also cheaper to operate and maintain, the city says, "An analysis comparing the Model Y to the City’s standard Dodge Charger patrol vehicle showed a slight lifecycle cost savings along with a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions."

The city currently has 129 light-duty vehicles in its fleet, they have two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and 10 hybrids used by various departments, including Chevrolet Volts, Ford Fusions, Interceptors, Escapes and Explorers, a Toyota Prius and several RAV4s, but this is the first fully electric vehicle and its first Tesla in its fleet.

Police Chief Matt Sackett said, “The EPPD is excited to deploy our first fully electric patrol car this week, which will be used for traffic enforcement and various other patrol functions.”

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