South Pasadena has officially become the first city in the U.S. to roll out an all-electric fleet for its police department. Yup, say goodbye to gas-guzzlers and hello to sleek Tesla Model Ys quietly patrolling the streets. The South Pasadena Police Department has introduced 20 brand-new Teslas, and they’re not just eco-friendly—they’re outpacing traditional police cruisers in performance, safety, and cost-effectiveness. .stk-5e19d1a{max-width:83% !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-bottom:21px !important;margin-left:0px !important} .stk-d67bdbf{top:50% !important;right:-5% !important;bottom:-4% !important;left:79% !important;position:absolute !important;transform:translateX(-50px) translateY(-50px) !important}.stk-d67bdbf .stk–svg-wrapper .stk–inner-svg svg:last-child{height:100px !important;width:100px !important;opacity:0.4 !important;transform:rotate(181deg) !important}.stk-d67bdbf .stk–svg-wrapper .stk–inner-svg svg:last-child,.stk-d67bdbf .stk–svg-wrapper .stk–inner-svg svg:last-child :is(g,path,rect,polygon,ellipse){fill:url(#linear-gradient-d67bdbf) !important}.stk-d67bdbf .stk–svg-wrapper #linear-gradient-d67bdbf{transform:rotate(0deg) !important;–linear-gradient-d-67-bdbf-color-1:#b994db !important;–linear-gradient-d-67-bdbf-color-2:#6413dd !important} .stk-25b4ec0{border-top-left-radius:0px !important;border-top-right-radius:0px !important;border-bottom-right-radius:0px !important;border-bottom-left-radius:0px !important;overflow:hidden !important;align-items:flex-end !important;padding-top:0px !important;padding-right:0px !important;padding-bottom:0px !important;padding-left:0px !important;display:flex !important;opacity:1 !important;z-index:2 !important;column-count:1 !important;column-gap:0px !important}.stk-25b4ec0 .stk-block-text__text{font-size:18px !important;background-image:linear-gradient(currentColor 0%,currentColor 100%) !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-25b4ec0 .stk-block-text__text{font-size:18px !important}}“We had an existing fleet that was probably end of life three or four years ago so we were looking for a solution to replace our fleet all at once,” Sgt. Tony Abdalla said in a SPDP video posted to the police department’s X/Twitter account. “What we found is Tesla was not only a viable option but it was the best option. The city is very environmentally and sustainability conscious. We got a much better performing car that costs significantly less to maintain and fuel.” Crunching the Numbers Let’s talk savings. According to city reports, this electric transition will save the city approximately $4,000 per vehicle each year. That’s right—over a decade, we’re looking at a whopping $400,000 in operational costs. Lower maintenance needs (goodbye oil changes and brake replacements) and cheaper charging options…South Pasadena’s move to electric police cars is turning heads