Cops in Teslas? Sheriff's Office in Pennsylvania testing out new cars to help environment

It wouldn’t be the first, but the Sheriff’s Office in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, would definitely be the biggest law enforcement agency the Pittsburgh area so far to add electric vehicles to its fleet of cruisers.

In a Facebook post, officials said Tesla provided them the opportunity to test-drive a Model 3 for the week “in hopes that we can add Tesla’s to our fleet.”

The Sheriff’s Office currently utilizes 65 Ford Police Interceptors for patrolling the streets of Allegheny County, and there is no plan at this time to replace all current vehicles with electric cars.

However, officials did say they will take a “very serious look at putting energy efficient Model Y’s on the street.”

According to Teslarati, by adding Teslas to the police fleet, the Sheriff's Office could save roughly $17,000 over a five-year period from gas and maintenance.

The Sheriff’s Office noted that it has “always been conscious of the environment and realize the importance of reducing our carbon footprint, while still providing the best public service to the citizens of Allegheny County.”

In the last few months, other departments have adopted Tesla models to their fleets for similar reasons, including Fremont police and Bargersville police.

Cox Media Group