Electric cars are becoming increasingly common in police fleets around the world since they are much cheaper to run with lower maintenance and fuel costs. In the US, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV can now be ordered as a cop car and the Hudson Police Department in New York recently added the first Tesla Model Y police SUV to its police fleet.

With the 2030 ban of new combustion car sales looming, emergency services in the UK will soon need to start switching to electric vehicles. This has prompted Tesla UK to build a custom Model 3 police car that can be trialed by police departments in the UK to see if it can cope with the demands of high-speed pursuit driving.

Fire departments and other emergency services will also be able to trial the Model 3. The custom Tesla Model 3 cop car is finished in a chequered police livery and fitted with emergency flashing lights, but it isn't known if any modifications have been made inside. Tesla hasn't confirmed the specifications for the Model 3 test car, but it appears to be based on the Performance variant.

With 430 horsepower being sent to all four wheels, the Model 3 Performance will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 152 mph, so it should be suitable for chasing fleeing criminals in high-speed pursuits. It also has a range of up to 315 miles.

According to Auto Express, Tesla hasn't confirmed if any UK police forces have shown interest in trialing the Tesla Model 3 cop car yet, so it could be a while before you see one patrolling the streets.

The Tesla Model 3 isn't the first UK electric police car. Last year, the Gloucester Constabulary started using Nissan Leaf police cars and the Metropolitan Police have a fleet of BMW i3s patrolling the streets of London, but they aren't suitable for emergency response situations.