In order to qualify as a police cruiser, a vehicle needs to be fast. Of course there are a number of required modifications before entering service, police vehicles, in general, need speed, power, and good gas mileage. Thing is, two out of the three can now be found elsewhere from a vehicle that gets far better mileage than any gasoline-powered vehicle. According to the Indianapolis Star and Fox 59, the Bargersville, Indiana Police Department made a bold decision when it came time to replace its aging fleet of Dodge Chargers: ditch them.

What about new Ford Interceptors? Nope. The Chevy Caprice? Also no. Instead, the department opted to update its fleet with Tesla Model 3s. After doing the calculations, it was determined that by switching to the all-electric sedan, a lot of money would be saved on gasoline.

With department budgets already tight, any way to save money is surely a welcomed thing. Bargersville Police Chief Todd Bertram said the following: "Two big things that we were looking at when shopping for cars were obviously cost and performance. Many times when you get a car that is in our cost price range, you sacrifice performance. With Tesla, the performance is better than the cars we are currently driving. It's amazing, it's smooth, it's powerful, it handles great."

The department ultimately opted for the Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which has a range of 240 miles. The department's outgoing Charger Pursuit patrol car averaged between 80 and 120 miles per day.

What about price per car? Again, the Model 3 is the clear winner. Although the price per car, $42,000, is higher than the $33,600 Charger, the department estimates it will save over $8,000 per car a year in gasoline, oil, insurance, and general maintenance. The Tesla will require $1,728 in electricity. One office pointed out even the Model 3's windshield wipers are cheaper to replace than the Charger's. Over a six-year time period, the department estimates it will save $20,600, with savings set to begin in the third year. Those saved funds will go toward hiring new officers. Significant maintenance savings are also expected. The first Model 3 has already entered service and there are plans to add four more.