Tesla Soups Up Model S For LAPD Patrol Fleet

PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- Tesla is souping up its Model S to meet the demands of police work.

The Palo Alto-based electric automaker is working with the Los Angeles Police Department to retrofit a Model S P85D with police equipment.

The collaboration is part of an effort to convert the city's entire fleet from fuel to electric. Outages would be a major concern, but the LAPD as decided to move forward with the Model S retrofit.

For several months, the department has been testing non-equipped Teslas. It will use the new souped up version "to benchmark electric vehicles as potential patrol vehicles," according to Electrek.

LAPD already has a fleet of 100 BMW i3 electric cars. They are only used to transport police personnel, not patrols.

Tesla's Model 2 P85 D Ludicrous would be better suited to meet the high-speed demands of police cruisers. It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.8 seconds and has a range of 250 miles. The $100,000 price tag may be an issue, but that could be offset by future savings on gas and maintenance.

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