A Model S P85D and an i3 sporting the LAPD’s famous black-and-white livery were on display at a press conference last week as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city’s plans to lease 160 EVs and 128 PHEVs.

“When we laid out our Sustainable City pLAn, we promised that 50% of new city fleet vehicles purchased each year would be EV by 2017,” Garcetti said. “Now we’re fulfilling that promise ahead of schedule.”

The new plug-ins will be used by the city’s police, fire, water and power and general services departments, and are expected to save around 41% on operating costs.

A hundred of the battery electric vehicles will be used by LAPD detectives and administrators. The two electric patrol cars won’t be going on active duty just yet, but will be tested and evaluated by LAPD technical experts.

“You can see right here behind me, the future,” Garcetti said, pointing at the Tesla and BMW. “Our goal is to one day go from gas-powered to battery electric in our squad cars. And if we do that, the impact could be national in scale. LA could lead the way to help transform not just our department, but other departments and cities around the country.”

Garcetti pointed out that EVs are “quick, meet the needs of policing” and are quiet enough to sneak up on scofflaws. The LAPD already has 23 electric scooters and three electric motorcycles in use by patrol officers.

“I think that today, this announcement, will trickle across the nation as a challenge to other cities, other police departments, other fire departments, to look at what we’re doing and to take a step that makes a change for the positive,” said Police Chief Charlie Beck.

Source: Los Angeles Times, Gizmodo
Photo credit: The Radio Scout