Anaheim PD unveils Tesla police patrol vehicles
Model Ys already in service in southern California as company showcases Cybertruck "Next-Gen Patrol vehicle." (Credit: AnaheimPD)
A police department in southern California is already using Tesla Model Y electric vehicles as patrol cars, and the outfitter who helped them become law-enforcement ready is looking to the future with Cybertrucks.
The Anaheim Police Department currently has four of six ordered Model Ys patrolling the streets as part of a pilot program. They were ordered as a result of "national supply chain issues" with Ford, Sgt. Jacob Gallacher told Fox News Digital, and data collected will help the department decide on further electric vehicle integration into its fleet.
When you add aging patrol vehicles and delivery delays on top of the supply chain issues, the department was dealing with a fleet shortage. Anaheim PD teamed up with associated vendor UP.FIT, which is a division of Unplugged Performance, to make the cars they ordered directly from Tesla geared up for patrol duty.
"We had to seek out alternative vehicle options, which led us to explore utilizing Teslas as police vehicles," Chief Rick Aremendariz said in an April press release. "We are enhancing public safety for Anaheim by getting patrol vehicles into service faster."
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The Model Y was chosen for its "advanced features" of rapid acceleration, storage capacity, affordability and low maintenance requirements, the department said.
Back in May, the South Pasadena Police Department said they too were going to use Teslas, getting 20 of them for patrols, detective work and other duties. The plan includes the purchase of 10 Tesla Model Y vehicles, 10 Model 3 cars and 30 charging ports.
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A police department in Texas tweeted at the beginning of the year that they too would like to go electric.
"What do you think @elonmusk? Will the #Cybertruck make a good police vehicle?" Rosenberg Police posted to X.
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UP.FIT is answering the call, and introduced the "world's first Tesla Cybertruck Patrol vehicle ready for use by public safety officials everywhere" on June 7, according to a news release. The company suggests the vehicle's use for more than just police and fire departments, adding that military and tactical response agencies can, as well.
UP.FIT is taking Cybertruck "Next-Gen Patrol" orders now, with deliveries expected in "late 2024."
A look at UP.FIT's Tesla Cybertruck prepared to work for a police department. (UP.FIT)
UP.FIT believes the Tesla Cybertrucks can be used for more than just police and fire departments. (UP.FIT)
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"The UP.FIT Cybertruck Next-Gen Patrol vehicle represents a significant engineering leap into the future and we’re excited to offer law enforcement agencies the future of policing," Ben Schaffer, CEO of Unplugged Performance, said in the release. "We’ve been thrilled with the direct feedback from police departments that have participated in our Cybertruck development and we look forward to deploying these complete UP.FIT vehicles to law enforcement agencies across the nation this year."
Gxstocks' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
