New Swiss police cruisers will be cleaner, cheaper, and way faster than the dirtier cars used now. The Basel-Stadt police department focused on economy and ecology in its decision to replace current diesel-powered vehicles with Tesla Model X police cars.
Though the department has already faced a backlash from naysayers, particularly in regard to cost, it does have at least one fan of its decision. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, not one to mince words, called the move a “smart” one. “Plus,” he added, “the bad guys will def not escape.”
The Swiss police are smart. Electricity vs diesel & maintenance more than make up for purchase price diff. Plus, the bad guys will def not escape. That’s worth a lot … https://t.co/fE6zmM8C3F
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 22, 2018
Environmental concerns were foremost in the search for new police cars. Because the choice of fully electric vehicles that meet the department’s requirements is limited to a single source, the usual process of soliciting competitive bids was bypassed. The Tesla Model X more than meets the department’s needs.
Current police vehicles in service in the area travel an average 120 miles per day. That distance falls well within the Tesla’s 310-mile range per full charge. The acquisition plan also includes two electrical charging stations for the central vehicle storage and maintenance facility, and two stations in each of two additional police stations.
The Tesla Model X’s payload, storage space, and excellent handling figured in the Swiss decision, but ownership and operational costs plus clean air were the most important factors.
Basel’s current diesel police cruisers each cost about $97,000. At approximately $147,000 fully equipped with specified police equipment, the Tesla initial purchase cost is higher than the diesel-powered cars they will replace. Operation and maintenance will cost less for the Teslas and eventual resale value will be higher, according to the police department. Overall, the plan is a financial and environmental win.
Drawing from the department’s 1 million Swiss franc budget allocation (approximately $1,048,000), the first of seven ordered Teslas is due to arrive in the fall of 2018. The rest of the SUVs are slated for delivery in 2019, police spokesperson Martin Schütz said in an interview with Telebasel.
The Basel police department’s decision was relatively easy, despite accusations of police driving luxury cars and questions by local politicians concerning why BMW or Mercedes weren’t considered.
“The planned replacement of diesel combi vehicles … by the Tesla Model X 100D brings only advantages in terms of economy and ecology as well as in view of the existing storage space in the vehicle and safety,” Schütz told Telebasel.
Basel-Stadt’s isn’t the only police department to choose Teslas. The LAPD uses electric vehicles for various functions and has tested the Tesla Model S for patrol use. Police departments in Denver, Colorado; Ontario, Canada; and in England and Luxembourg are currently testing or employing Tesla Model S sedans, reports Electrek.
Updated on March 22: Added Elon Musk’s response to Swiss police using Model X in their fleet.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.