By Karen Kucher
The San Diego Union-Tribune
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The Chula Vista Police Department is spending nearly $1 million to add 10 electric vehicles to its fleet, believed to be the first law enforcement agency in the region to embrace zero-emission patrol cars.
The department selected Chevrolet Blazers designed for law enforcement purposes for its shift toward sustainability. One of the cars will be assigned to a traffic officer while the other nine will be used by school resource officers. The move is expected to save money now spent on gasoline and oil changes.
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The vehicles cost $66,000 each, and the department spent another $30,000 to outfit them with emergency light bars, other police equipment and department logos. That makes them a bit more expensive than typical gas-powered patrol cars, which run around $88,000 fully outfitted.
The $960,000 purchase was funded through Measure A, a sales-tax increase approved by Chula Vista voters in 2018.
“With the infrastructure already in place, the lower maintenance costs, and the environmental benefits of being all-electric, it just made sense all around to move forward and add these cars to our fleet,” said Sgt. Anthony Molina , a department spokesperson.
On its company website, Chevrolet calls the all-electric Blazer the “only pursuit-rated, purpose-built police package EV in its segment.”
The Blazer interiors were designed with police officers in mind, with front seats “designed to accommodate duty belts and gear — along with the capability to handle police-level electrical loads,” according to the Chevrolet website. The four-door SUVs have a range of 286 miles per charge and can accelerate up to 130 mph in a pursuit.
Molina said the vehicle’s mapping system is superior to what officers currently use in regular patrol cars and tells drivers how far they can travel before needing a charge. “It’s a lot more user-friendly than the map that’s on their laptops,” he said.
The Blazers are being assigned to school resource officers because they typically work a day shift. As a result, the vehicle will not be taken home but will be plugged in nightly at the police station to charge. The stations were equipped with solar panels and charging stations in 2017.
For now, the department won’t use the EVs for patrol because cars used by those officers can be in use for 24 hours at a time — which could make it difficult to find time to recharge, Molina said.
The department, which has around 210 vehicles in its fleet, including about 100 that are marked police vehicles, bought the Blazers from Bob Stall Chevrolet after going through a city bidding process, he said.
“We expect them to do well. We expect maintenance costs to go down,” Molina said. “At this point, we think our biggest expenses will be tires and brakes, and with the way regenerative braking works with electric cars, it should even save us a bit on brakes because the cars will naturally slow down.”
There’s an obvious benefit when it comes to air quality, too. Traditional gas-powered patrol vehicles can be left idling for hours at scenes to provide power for emergency lights and other electronic equipment. EVs spew zero emissions.
Other police agencies have recently added EVs to their fleets, including departments in Las Vegas and Irvine . Chula Vista’s 10 Blazers are thought to be the first EVs to be used as squad cars in San Diego County , Molina said.
The Las Vegas Metro Police Department unveiled its 10 Tesla Cybertrucks at a press conference in October. The department used donated funds to purchase and outfit the vehicles.
In Irvine, the police department also went with a Tesla Cybertruck. Their truck has been assigned to the department’s Drug Abuse Resistance and Education program and will be driven to schools and community events.
Molina said Chula Vista officials looked at several vehicles before deciding on the Blazer. They liked that it handled well and starts immediately when an officer carrying a key fob gets into the vehicle. “It’s immediately ready to go, so they tap on that brake and they can take off right away,” he said.
Another nice feature, Molina said, is how quickly the vehicle shuts down. When an officer exits the vehicle, the Blazer will immediately lock down, keeping the electronics and weapons inside the car secure.
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