Dallas County will add three Tesla EVs to its fleet of vehicles, Fox4 has reported. The county’s commissioners voted last week to approve the purchase of three Tesla Model 3s, which will be used at first as replacements for law enforcement agency cars that are in for service. Commissioner Elba Garcia said:
“Very excited about this one. It’s the purchase of the Teslas that we’ve been talking about when we talk about the great job that our automotive service center is doing and our environment. It’s plain and simple. Having these cars is a great start.”
Commissioner John Wiley Price was against it, noting that other EVs weren’t tested while Teslas were. He wanted to give other EVs a chance, and this is why he voted no. He said:
“Hell no. The problem is, as I said, the only reason Tesla is out there is because the others are not tested and Tesla is. I’ve been told by Mr. Cooper that the others are trying to get to market, so I vote no.”
I understand Commissioner Price’s point on this matter. However, I don’t think other EV manufacturers are really game here. Ford may be an exception, and its Mustang Mach-E EV has been purchased as a police vehicle as well.
In November 2021, it was announced that Menlo Park purchased six of them along with a Chevy Bolt for code enforcement. Menlo Park also purchased three Tesla Model Y vehicles, making the purchase a total of 10 electric vehicles.
Variety may be the spice of life, but Tesla has shown that it’s the best option for many police forces around the country and even throughout the world. I do think it would be good for Ford and others if a police department tested one of their EVs, and it would also help boost confidence in EVs over the long run.
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