The Fremont Police Department’s Tesla police car ran out of battery in the middle of a police pursuit.
The concerned person failed to fully charge the Fremont Police Department’s Tesla at the end of a shift and the car died during a police chase.
Officials said the electric police car ran out of supply as an officer was chasing a vehicle headed to South Bay.
“Just slowed down to six miles of battery on the Tesla, so I may lose it here in a sec,” the officer said over the police radio. “If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the number one spot?”
Other police vehicle took over the charge in the chase, which was later called off because it had become unsafe. The suspect’s car was later found deserted in San Jose.
“The Tesla wasn’t fully charged at the beginning of the shift,” a spokesman for the Fremont Police Department said. “This, unfortunately, happens from time to time even in our vehicles that run on gas, if they aren’t refueled at the end of a shift,” he explained.
The Fremont Police Department induced the used, 2014 Model S Tesla in the fleet earlier this year as part of an environmentally friendly program for an emissions-free fleet. The department paid $61,478 for the cutting-edge electric vehicle that was assembled at a plant in Fremont.
“This is not a trophy vehicle,” the police department stated on its website. “After the testing phase and performance evaluation, we aim to add more in the future.”
