Although estimates vary, there are 250,000 to 300,000 law enforcement vehicles in use in the United States by police departments, highway patrols, sheriff’s offices and federal agencies. The market for new police vehicles per year is a profitable niche for General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, which sell a combined total of around 60,000 units per year, according to one automaker’s internal data.
In small towns such as Nitro and Bargersville, it’s easy to see the impact an electric police car can have on a municipal budget.
Bargersville spends about $35,000 to buy each police Dodge Durango, $550 per month on fuel, plus $65 per vehicle every 3,000 miles for an oil change. The city paid $41,000 for each Tesla and spends between $35 and $50 for electricity and maybe around $35 per month for wiper blades and other minor upkeep, said Roll. Bargersville generally keeps police vehicles for six years and the estimated fuel savings of around $6,000 per year will nearly pay for the cars by the time their duty on the force is done.
New York City’s police department has 6,200 vehicles in its fleet.
The cost to upfit a vehicle for police duty varies by the amount of equipment in each car, the modifications needed and who does the work. Not all police cars have cages or partitions or are outfitted with the same level of electronics. Upfitting can run between $12,000 and $20,000.
Cybekar Systems, a manufacturer of emergency vehicle technology components based in Terrebonne in Quebec, is outfitting one of the first Ford Mustang Mach-E all-electric police vehicles to enter service. It belongs to the city of Repentigny’s police department, which expects to spend about the same amount upfitting the Mach-E as it does on its regular patrol vehicles.
The vehicle will be upfitted with a full police cruiser interior, emergency lights and lightbar, front push bumper, front and rear trunk storage compartments, and police technology systems connected directly to the touchscreen. The project is due for completion in spring, according to Rob St. Germaine, director of sales for the company.
In Nitro, the police Tesla has been a popular addition to the force, said Maj. J.J. Garbin. “No one’s ever stopped by when we got a new police SUV. Nobody cares, right? We have people coming by all the time wanting to see the Tesla. The kids love it.”
