The UK police currently own a Tesla Model 3 which is being used on a trial basis. It seems like Elon Musk should prepare for a large order from the UK because the man in charge of the trial has nothing but praise for the EV sedan.
The Model 3 has been put through various scenarios as part of the program. The UK police found that the additional auxiliary systems like the blue lights, siren, onboard number plate recognition system, and database computer have a minimal impact on driving range. Max Toozs-Hobson, Account Manager & Emergency Services Lead at Tesla, recently confirmed this on his LinkedIn account.
In addition to running the auxiliary systems successfully, Toozs-Hobson also provided updates on other police-related activities. Now, we know what you're all thinking at this point. How do you keep up with a crim in a supercar with a full tank? Car theft isn't a severe problem in the UK, but they have an issue with yobbos (English slang for morons) stealing high-end cars and taking them on joy rides. The Model 3 Performance is fast, but it's not Lamborghini fast.
As it turns out, the Model 3 is good for 200 miles of what Toozs-Hobson calls Blue Light Advanced Driving. That's hooning it, in American. Or chasing the bad guys, Bad Boys style. The average blue light run lasts between 7 to 14 minutes, so the Model 3 is more than capable. This does beg the question, what kind of baddies are they producing over there? Over here, the criminals have no problems outrunning a Model S police car. Still, New York unveiled its first Tesla police car earlier this year. Maybe EV cop cars are better suited to tight roads.
As for charging, Toozs-Hobson says it's all good. He recently joined a shift, and the car had just 80 miles left. "We stopped at a V3 Supercharger and gained 70% power in less than 20 minutes," he explains. "This gave us another 5-6 hours of driving for the shift. Plus, this fill-up cost less than £20," said Toozs-Hobson. That's roughly $26 for a refill. To put that in perspective, the UK police also runs a fleet of Ford Focus STs. A refill for each of those is around $100.
The Model S Plaid recently made headlines for poor brake performance, but this has not been the case in these driving conditions with this car. The brakes still had 15 to 20% left after 10,000 miles of service.
The Model 3 also saves the taxpayers money because the only maintenance costs are brakes and tires, with no annual servicing required.
Finally, Toozs-Hobson mentions over-the-air updates as an advantage. "Tesla software updates and systems offer new ways to police, the ability to send directions to the car via systems such as what3words, and Google Maps will allow control rooms to send direct directions to a job."
Using Teslas as police cars is not a new trend. The Thai police are a few steps ahead, dropping a total of $3 million on Tesla Model 3s earlier this year. We expect this to become more of a trend as charging stations become more easily accessible.