Tesla squad car almost runs out of battery during a high-speed police pursuit
A policeman driving a Tesla patrol car almost ran out of power during a suspect chase in Fremont, California, on Friday, according to local media.
The East Bay Times reported that the officer was driving a Tesla Model S during a high-speed chase when he noticed that it was running low on juice. The policeman radioed in to dispatch to say he may need backup if the electric car runs out of power.
“I am down to 6 miles of battery on the Tesla, so I may lose it here in a sec,” the officer, identified as Jesse Hartman, reportedly said. “If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the No. 1 spot?”
The police eventually called off the chase after the assailant began driving recklessly through thickening traffic, according to the report. The car was later discovered abandoned in San Jose.
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The Tesla squad car is part of a pilot program launched in January that tests whether the EVs work for law enforcement. The Tesla Model S 85 is the only electric vehicle that met specifications for size, performance, battery range and safety, the police department said in a press release.
The Tesla Model S has an EPA-rated range of 265 miles on one charge.
A spokesperson for the Fremont police told NBC Bay Area that the Tesla had not been fully charged when the officer began his 2 p.m. shift. The pursuit began around 11 p.m., spokesperson Geneva Bosques said.
"This one instance does not in any way change our feeling regarding the performance of the vehicle for patrol purposes," Bosques told NBC. The spokesperson also told CNN, "We have no written policy regarding gas or charging, but the general guideline is that it should at least be half full at the beginning of the shift, which this car was."
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tesla squad car nearly runs out of battery life during police chase
