The Leawood Police Department in Kansas recently disclosed that it had added a Tesla Model Y Long Range to its fleet in a press release. The car would serve as a patrol cruiser for the Leawood Police Department.
The Leawood PD’s black and white colors have already been applied to the Model Y. The department stated that after reading negative assessments of the available hybrid patrol cars, they began researching the notion of an all-electric vehicle last year.
The agency’s project manager, Captain Kirt Yoder remarked that Tesla Kansas had been very helpful. “I ended up contacting about ten agencies from New York to California. Tesla-Kansas City was great. They were eager to help and answer all our questions,” he said.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the Model Y is anticipated to result in significant financial savings for the Leawood Police Department. A cost comparison from over a year ago indicated that the Ford Explorer patrol SUV would cost the department roughly $4,500 to run annually.
At that time, a gallon of gas in the city cost $1.75. The price to run a standard Ford Explorer SUV police cruiser would probably be significantly greater at today’s prices.
In contrast, the Leawood Police Department predicted that the Tesla Model Y would cost $648 in energy annually. This estimate was based on the 2021 cost of $0.08 per kWh.
It was expected that the Leawood City Council would unanimously accept the Model Y acquisition for the Leawood PD given the potential savings. Overall, the Leawood Police Department anticipates that the Model Y will last four years, one year longer than the Ford Explorer SUV that it will replace.
Even though the Model Y is smaller than the Ford Explorer it is replacing, Captain Yoder remarked that some Leawood PD officers are eager to test drive it.
“I think electric vehicles are going to be the future, and this is going to be a good foundation for us. Some officers have concerns because this is a smaller vehicle and the extra equipment (of a patrol car) eats into their work space, but others are excited for the new technology,” he said.
