South Pasadena Police Department switches to all-electric fleet with 20 Teslas

The city of South Pasadena celebrated its new fleet of police vehicles Monday, making it the first city in the nation to go all-electric.  

South Pasadena Police Chief Brian Solinsky said efforts to transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric started with the city council a decade ago. 

The department's zero-emission police fleet of 20 Teslas will not only save the city funds but, according to the chief, they are the safest and best-performing vehicles available. 

 "These police cars have been meticulously designed with a focus on safety, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility," Solinsky said. 

At Monday's unveiling, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger praised South Pasadena police for looking toward the future.

"Projects like this will inspire others to take steps toward clean energy," Barger said. "The South Pasadena Police Department is truly, truly the gold standard."

Mayor Evelyn Zneimer said as the city meets this historic milestone, they are at the same time saving money, keeping the air clean, and using over $1 million in contributions from project partners. 

The transition to 10 Tesla Model Ys as patrol vehicles and 10 Tesla Model 3s for detective and administrative duties, is expected to save about $4,000 a year per vehicle on energy costs, city officials said.

The operational cost of the electric vehicles is projected to be at least half the per-mile cost of gasoline-powered vehicles, Solinsky said.

Police vehicles typically idle more than other vehicles as officers make traffic stops or respond to emergency calls. The gasoline engines must continue to run just to power the cars' emergency lights, radios, and other equipment used in police cars. In contrast, EVs are emissions-free while driving. 

A bank of 34 new electric vehicle chargers have been installed at South Pasadena City Hall to service the fleet.