As part of a pilot project, three police officers driving Tesla Model Y company electric cars analyzed the car after working with her for a year. They received cars with police alarms, a built-in laptop with access to police databases and other special equipment.
Two Tesla electric cars were actively operated during the year, and the third was a spare car. Police officers praised their dynamic performance and mileage, and also noted that they were much cheaper to run than gasoline or even hybrid cars.
Electricity costs are lower than fuel, and electric cars are easier to maintain. However, the Menlo Park police concluded that the Tesla Model Y crossover is not suitable for the role of a patrol car.
According to the police, the low ground clearance does not allow dynamic driving, and the interior is quite narrow. The high central console limits access to the weapon in the holster integrated in the car.
In addition, police officers complain about the incorrect operation of the autopilot (sometimes it turns on by itself) and the inability to turn off the voice control. It is also inconvenient to control most functions via the central touch screen: it does not allow, for example, to quickly turn off the headlights.