Should Police use EVs? Tesla Model 3 vs Crown Vic Police Interceptor 

Keep in mind this was a fun test, not scientific, where we used an OLD cop car with a NEW Tesla. This was more for entertainment purposes however if there are any members of a police force that want to come over to the track (in North Carolina) with a current PPV vehicle and some tests in mind that would actually be “real world” I’d love to do it! The video for InsideEVs will be numbers based on as much factual data as I can get. This was more to make people smile during this rough spot that has many people down.

Modified 500-mile range Cybertruck for police.

The Crown Victoria will always be *THE COP CAR*

My dream car was always a Crown Vic / Grand Marquis. I was crushed when their production ended.

"DO NOT RESIST THE POWER OF ELECTRIC, IDIOT" lol

8:52 "sweet mother of Jesus" I've never clicked on a video as fast as this one.

Police Tesla: Pursuit mode enabled

Fleet fuel savings have to be monstrous; Gas car uses fuel while sitting around where EV uses hardly any. No oil changes and probably less brake/motor overhauls. Who knows how many miles they can pile on an EV before the drive train is dead.

Just wait for the Cyber Truck. Will be an awesome (and intimidating ) police vehicle. Several foreign countries have already ordered them. Also, they already have cameras all around the car. Even though higher initial cost, will save a lot of money in reduced fuel and oil change and other maintenance costs and will last longer. Not to mention improved protection from gunfire from the stainless steel body. BTW, it looks like you are having way too much fun!

Wow, the drift sequence at the beginning looks stunning 😍

How about "donut mode". Self-parking at Krispy Creme. Sold.😉

When you're shifting from reverse to drive, you don't have to come to a full stop. If you're driving below 10 km/h you can shift into drive without touching the brake.

Was a "drive over the curb" test part of this? I tend to think actual performance is usually pretty far down the priority list.

The vic looked wayy cooler doing the track than the ev, its heavy car your throwing around

Totally enjoyed this video! However I have a 2011 CVPI which is the 4.6 V8, and I love it. This model came with an LSD so I can go like hell if I need it to. Yes its a land yacht, but all in all its cheap to repair reliable as hell. Haven't watched the cost video but I'd be interested to know the maintenance cost difference (if its there). Also, not sure how the Tesla would stand up to put maneuvers or, as one viewer posted below, the sometimes unorthodox driving methods of officers who protect us. Plus, c'mon its a crown vic! No other police vehicle demands more respect :p All in all, awesome video though! But I'm still not buying a Tesla

The old Crown Victoria did very well up against the Tesla. Would love to see it up against an EcoBoost TAURUS or EcoBoost Explorer police pursuit vehicle. I have asked a few police men if they like the Taurus better then the Crown Victoria and they said no. The Crown Victoria can jump curbs and meridians all day long with out suspension damage as opposed to the FWD Taurus and Explorer. A crunched battery pack would not be a good thing. Thanks for the very entertaining video. Great job and drone flying.....👍👍

Man the drone footage is awesome

very entertaining during this quarantine ;D ! keep up the good work !

I feel an electric police/fire emergency vehicles are coming very soon. I've seen zero motorcycles being used up here in northern California in a municipality for the last couple of years. They just need to be very robust in build quality or won't last a year in service.

Don’t forget the positive ENVIRONMENTAL impact of electric while idling 90% of the time!! 😃👍🏼

Been here since 4000 subscribers! Can't wait for you to reach a million! 😄

There is more than one police department in the US already trying this out, Westport CT, and I think Fremont CA itself, among others. Then a few in Europe. Maintenance cost savings alone is considerable. I don‘t know which department has had theirs the longest but I’m sure at least a few have been over a year. Seems most have the LR or SR+ RWD model but one might have the AWD version. Great video Kyle 👍

I still like the Crown Vic 4.6L V8 love that sound and I love the drifting.

I just love your videos, Kyle! And I believe you have just started a huge wave of electric police cars orders from all over the country. Very good idea and well done!

Something like the Cybertruck would make more sense, maybe with some super capacitors for a little rapid charging along with extra battery capacity. The ground clearance probably kills it for most electric cars. The gas savings would be huge.

Great content deserves to be rewarded. Keep ripping it!

Correct me if im wrong but they wouldent even need radar guns in a model 3, with custom software the model 3 would be able to detect and alert the officers of speeders with the built in sensors

In my M3 I can switch from reverse to drive without stopping, no need to breake. Though I have never tried faster than 4-5 kph.

Ya performance is a factor but that really hasn’t been a big issue since a police scanner. Reliability and repairing, availability are bigger hurdles.

Thank you for the Super Troopers reference!

I'd love to see you add a Trans Am aka Burt Reynolds style to the chase fleet LOL. Great entertainment and laughs!

Dude you are the best. I love this chanel

OMG!! those maniac focus drivers 🤯🤯😤

Yes they should. The cost of turning over a car before 100k miles is astounding. With an electric car they'd be able to drive them super hard and not wear them out much. They'd get at least 2x the life out of each car

One thing is can the Tesla handle all the electronics that a normal police car has, a town in California was given one and when the shift changed it didn't have much chance to charge abs they got into a pursuit and the Tesla ran out of power and lost the perp.

Great video, love your channel because you keep things fun and lighthearted but at the same time try to give some valid information. I might point out that the crown Victoria you're comparing the brand new Model 3 to was designed in 1998... Uses a 4-speed automatic transmission. And makes maybe 250 horsepower. For fleet operations like police, cost to maintain and repair is something to consider. And it's one of the reasons that so many taxi companies used crown vics for so long. Brakes, suspension stuff is very durable and very inexpensive. Something that you did not mention and could not have tested, try going over curbs in your Model 3 and see what happens. watch some police videos these guys drive the hell out of these crown vics. Jumping over curbs over sidewalks. It's one of the reasons so many PDs now use tahoes and explorers even over the crown vics. How much do you think it would cost to repair your Model 3 if you hit a 4-in curb at 30 mph? of course there's nothing to say you could not have a vehicle like a Tahoe or an explorer that was electric and that solves that problem completely. It kind of does show you though how good the crown Vic was when you factor in how old the thing is, it performs pretty damn well which is why it was used for so damn long. Absolutely love your channel keep up the great work keep making it fun and entertaining for us to get fun facts and information.

you guys need to open up a driving school at the track!

Kyle has pointed out a huge market segment, currently owned by Ford. Lots of civilians order as close to a police version as the option list allows. So it is a big definable segment. Kitting out a vehicle for a specific use like a police vehicle is well worth the investment for an aftermarket tuner, as the sales come in year after year. It is Tesla's option to step up with a model Y with tough bumpers, tough tires and support for electronic gear. If Tesla does not, Rivian surely will.

There should be police charging stations in rest spots, solar with batterie storage and speed off charging hose recoil.

Interesting vid thanks, are you doing a vid on the modern spare tire ?

Appreciate the thinking Kyle but that was more of a "how to pick an autocross car" than "how to pick a police car". Little of what police do is "auto slalom" like, but rather focused on durability (off road, over curbs, etc.), repairability (rip off a wheel, quickly bolt on new a-arms without any frame damage, etc), strength (can withstand doing P.I.T. maneuvers, ramming other vehicles, etc.), equipment load capacity/officer comfort (computer, equipment belt, cage, etc.), electrical capability (upgraded alternators to drive computers, lights, siren, radios, etc.), endurance (upgraded cooling for constant near full throttle operation), range (large fuel tanks). All the current Tesla models are dismal on these, however the CyberTruck may be the platform to start with. The Ontario Provincial Police in Canada have invited Elon to develop a police vehicle based on the CyberTruck with them, so far no firm engagement from Elon other than "sounds fun"...

True, just around town 5 miles / kWh is very doable. I wonder what they could do to ABC.. install chargers at strategic locations?

What drone are you guys using?

Cool!

Do you get out on the open road in a chase that last longer than 30 or 40 minutes.

Hi Kyle, I believe that a more up-to-date challenge comparison would be done with the Dodge Charger. I haven't seen a Crown Vic as a police cruiser or an Interceptor in quite some time. I'll never understand why small-town police departments (and even some university police depts.) need Chargers. I have always thought that Teslas are ideal for police interceptors. I think the problem right now is access to spare parts.

The officer may not pay for gas but gas costs police departments a lot. - See Bargersville, IN police - They are trying out the Model 3 and expecting to save a lot on fuel and repairs.

Fart siren. It will be a thing. You read it here first.

You make the EV sound like it’s far superior than the Crown Vic…I think any officer of that matter..would chose the CROWN VIC any day. The sound of a 4.6L V8, RWD, body on frame boat with stupid amount of comfort…it’s a dream.

Police love these cars for driving off terrain. Even I love my crown Vic driving through Rocky dirt. Let's see the Tesla run through it lol

Office aftermarket conversion companies should work with Tesla to buy a stripped version cheap, the conersion companies can put in their own suspension. tires. seats, and technology and devices inside. They could also better use the center sotrage console to fit police equipment. OBviously it would still need the center computer scree, but bedisdes that ,everything else can be costom

Pretty sure a police version of a Model 3 would have a modified software for reverse and other things.

I think the Cyber truck is probably going to be a good fit for a police vehicle,but one major issue that needs to be overcome is the cost to replace expensive circuit boards on all these electric vehicles. And yes, they do fail. They're usually very difficult or impossible to repair, and replacing them is very expensive. In contrast most ICE cop cars are easily repairable and the parts network is open. Tesla would need to fully open their parts availability to make something like this transition more possible.

The rubber and tire industries thank you 😊

No comparison..! Sweet plate on that T. I saw a custom plate on a Tesla.. NO ICE

Model Y might be great for this also

I spoke with State Trooper that lived through his force experiencing the exhaust leaks with the Ford Police Interceptor. As he was driving one at the time he was seriously concerned about his and his fellow officers' safety. Defects aside, according to him cracked or leaky manifolds are not uncommon among the interceptor fleet. The lower requirements for routine maintenance would provide a benefit of higher availability of the Electric vehicle. However, at present the much longer mean-time-to-repair could be a dominating issue for the fleet manager.

Maybe try the reverse; 10 year old EV against a 2020 police vehicle.

Cool video. I would say the biggest downfall of the current electric vehicle lineup is road clearance. If you jump a curb in a Tesla, I think the battery would be toast. However, if a marriage of the CyberTruck and a Tesla sedan modified for police use, THAT would be phenomenal.

The Smart won right?

YES!!😎😎

The only thing i can see is the height of the EV being so low would hinder in short off road or over the curb activity's... pls do burnouts in a field with both to test... maybe some jumps? also automatic breaking would really suck when you try push a car off the road lmao

Well, as an old saying goes, you can outrun a cop car, but you can't outrun a radio. So the first cop might not catch you, but their buddies and that police helicopter watching your car will.

i think you are incorrect about finding the car fully charged in the morning as the night shift officer would have used it and its only been charging for a short while, unless the station gets equipped with super charger, there was a news article a while back about police testing out EV and car usually not being fully charged between shift changes.

We all know that the Tesla Model 3 is better than the crown victoria, but that doesn't change the fact that the crown victoria is loved by many including me, and if they were to change to EV completely that would mean that there would be a lot more CVPI's on the market for me to snag. So I guess you could say it's a win-win situation...

Lets goo. Great channel, great content.

This is an old video, but here is a wise recomendation for track use of any car....WEAR A HELMET. Skill and vehicle don't make a difference any sliding car can flip at any time. I never forget a BMW demonstration event where an "expert driver" flipped it on a power slide.

first. ,..ok now ill watch the video :

I think what would make or break the deal is how tough t he vechile is. Crown vic's can handle diffrent terrain without minimal mechanical failure those cars are tanks. I think that's the most important thing.

I would love a chopped Renault Tweezy as a camera car

Seen a lot of police pursuits that last around 90 mins with speeds often around 90mph....

Why did driving the crown victoria seemed like more fun?

Most police agencies have moved to SUVs and care little about pursuit performance due to Risk vs Reward liability. I would much rather drive a Model Y than the Ford Explorers we have at my agency. Getting in and out of the vehicles in full gear multiple times a day is now a huge consideration when purchasing police cars. Performance is great but more tactical software (maps for perimeters) Tesla. could excel at would be more beneficial than speed.

I think it will only take one OTA update and Tesla can transform their vehicles into proper police cars. Even the top speed in R can be easily increased since there is no gearbox. All that beeping and blinking can be turned off because they are only there for safety which a police car driver doesn't really need. A complete new market for Tesla, they should seriously look into this (pretty sure they already do).

Can you do more videos about the i3 please

Cops love how quiet the Teslas are. They can sneak up on perps or pull up to the fugitive and arrest them without anyone knowing.

I wonder how a SR or SR+ would handle. These would be way more affordable for a police Departments

They should have them where they automatically got from street to track mode on its own.

So glad you mentioned that 90% of the time police are not pursuing anyone. Much more important to a police department is how well the vehicle can handle the power consumption of a light bar, radio, wireless router, dispatching/report writing computer, and climate control all at the same time (while driving or stopped). Room for a prisoner cage and shotgun rack are also a must. Gasoline is not free (as you stated) so operating costs for a fleet is very important. I think major metropolitan police departments with large fleets would be concerned with charging times or the cost of installing multiple chargers at every police substation. No doubt the Tesla would outperform during the ultra-rare vehicle pursuit. That will have almost no significance in the selection process but the Tesla safety would. Police are killed to the greatest extent by suicide, followed next by vehicle accidents.

Show this to the CHP! Great video

I think in UK they will be using Mach -E for their cars.

What if the TM3 was always on "Track Mode"?

Where do cops still drive Crow Vic's? Maybe you want to compare with a Dodge Charger.

Gloucestershire Police in the UK are converting to EVs I think they are using Nissan Leafs.. ATM not using fast interceptors, but just everyday pootlng around.

They can put charging stations at Shiply Donuts

How is the Tesla with the certfication for the police radios. I don't think that Tesla like much more high power HF in the car and many parts need to be modified for the police. You can't simply put 25-100W HF in the electronics of a EV and tesla needs more shilding and it all needs to be certified. Police needs much place for all their equipment in their cars.

You have to stop a Tesla completely to switch from R to F?

The reduction in operating costs for the police department would be huge.

Why are you using a Crown Victoria. They stopped making them in 2011. The Tesla has a huge advantage with AWD. The proper vehicle to use would be a 2019 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor. Plus putting your foot the the floor on a gas powered car is not necessarily the fastest way to get around a course. Get one with the 3.0 twin Turbo ecoboost. City cruisers can’t wait 40 minutes to charge. They are on the road 24 hours a day. Takes 3 minutes to refuel. Yes the 3 will accelerate better it was designed to. But a municipality can get 2 explorers for one 3.

M3 for sure. How about the same general style of video but with newer gas police cars: the Charger and the Ford Interceptor. No need to catch up to the bad guys in the M3. It will have to slow down so as to not outrun them.

Until it is figured how to recharge an electric vehicle as fast as one can pump gas, AND have it available on every other corner- the cops wont be using them too much. I think thats the one thing a lot of folks are missing...Too much down time. It would take more Teslas, officers and money to achieve the same amount of coverage to make up the time difference between a "re-charge" vs. a "fill up". Police departments aren't going to go for a cruiser sitting idle for that long- neither is a city budget planner. Most officers hand the cruiser over to the next officer while the hood is still warm to the touch. The performance of the Tesla is outstanding, no doubt. Not gonna be an "electric car-denyer". A lot of work to be yet, to include making them where they can have the living fuck beat out of them 12 to 18 hours per day.

Not to hard to get your hands on a used charger pursuit

You don't have to get the Model 3 to a full stop to put it in drive, you can do it from around 5-6MPH.

1. Police do not have unlimited budgets. Budgets for vehicles is very tight. You could buy two Crown Vics for the price of one Tesla. Fuel is also not free; big agencies have multi-million dollar annual budgets for fuel. 2. You can't hot fuel a Tesla to full in five minutes and be off racing to the next call; especially in rural areas and highway patrol. I would bet electric only works in dense city with small beats where you can get back to the station quickly to plug for 8 hours in or be stuck somewhere. 3. Police driving can be a full contact sport. The Tesla will cost an agency a fortune in repairs or more likely replacement. Crown Vics were known for taking hits and still going with only cosmetic panel replacement afterwards. 4. Police vehicles don't need to have the best 0-60. Studies have shown police are able to catch up as people clear a path for them due to red/blue lights and siren while the violator has to fight their way through traffic. 5. Repairs overall on a Tesla are a fortune compared to the utilitarian Crown Vic; repair cost is another agency budget killer. 6. You didn't calculate battery drain with emergency lighting, voice and MDC and AVL radios operating all the time, MDC terminal, cameras, radar, driving lights on all night etc. In my opinion, the Crown Vic still is the overall winner in utility and operating cost as a fleet vehicle.

They should’ve compared it to a charger or an explorer

I'm surprised how well the crown victoria did compared to the tesla even with an open diff and how poorly the tesla did compared to the crown vic I mean it was only 1.29 seconds faster I was expecting it to be much faster than the crown vic like 10 or even 20 seconds faster and it was only a few feet faster at catching the speeder! So much for the EV! Yes it's faster but not fast enough to make a significant difference in a real-world scenario especially compared to a crown vic imagine if it was compared to a more modern more powerful chevy caprice PPV or a dodge charger pursuit.

soo not as exciting but what about the mail trucks?

Tesla police car runs out of batteries mid high-speed chase - TomoNews 106,546 views•Sep 27, 2019 Should really check this out.

Where do you store the doughnuts 🍩 in the Tesla 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️

Hold on...The Tesla failed at the most significant part of the test between the two vehicles. Stopping. As Kyle was reading regen brake warnings the car failed to brake which could have easily cause an injury or fatality to the driver or pedestrian. I know that Kyle said later that for some reason he braked late, but this is also after he said that he was a better trained driver than a Police Officer. I am going to give significant points to the old Crown Vic, just because it stopped in the box. As for the rest, Tesla fared as well as it should have against the old Vic. Nice video.