Model Y police car in Switzerland. Source: Reddit
A Tesla Model Y has joined the Swiss police force in St. Gallen, joining at least 13 Hyundai Kona EVs. And there are more to come.
An image of the Model Y fitted out in the striking livery of the St. Gallen police fleet emerged on social forum Reddit on Saturday, and has been confirmed by The Driven as a new addition to the police of the St. Gallen canton (an administrative district not to be mistaken for the city of St. Gallen).
The Tesla Model Y – the Californian EV maker’s all-electric crossover – is available in Switzerland in either Long range or Performance configurations.
Although it is unknown which variant the St. Gallen have chosen, both have formidable specifications, including acceleration from 0-100km/hr in the Long Range version and 3.7 seconds in the case of the Performance version.
And with at least 514km WLTP range, both variants will drive plenty of distance before requiring a recharge.
The post on Reddit said that “more will follow”, and it is likely that it will not only be the St. Gallen canton to add the Model Y to its fleet.
In 2019, a total of 13 Hyundai Kona EVs were added to the police fleets of Swiss cantons in east Switzerland for use in patrol duties.
There have been arguments for and against the use of Tesla electric cars as police vehicles, however. A recent report stated that police in Spokane, Washington in the US said the Model Y was too small to accommodate police officers, and too expensive to convert to for use as a patrol car, says Green Car Reports.
However, in 2021 a trial of the Tesla Model 3 Performance by UK police drew positive reviews, having proven it could easily handle the four-hour “blue light” run used to test whether a car was suitable as a police car.
There are also a number of electric cars including from both Tesla and Hyundai in operation in Australia, including five Kona EVs and three Ioniq fastbacks in South Australia for non-operational use, and in 2019 a Tesla Model X was put into use as a highway patrol vehicle. It is now used for community engagement and evaluation.
In 2021, The Driven reported that a Hyundai Kona EV would be trialled by the NSW police force in Sydney.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.
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