Since the Tesla Model S car came out in 2012, police forces worldwide have been changing electric vehicles (EVs) to meet their needs. Tesla popularized electric cars. But so far, police departments have only bought a small number of electric vehicles at a time. In South Pasadena, California, all police cars are being replaced by the Tesla Model 3 sedans and Model Y SUVs, modified by the well-known Tesla race car tuner Unplugged Performance for specific police activities. If the name “Unplugged Performance” sounds familiar, they made the modified Tesla Model S Plaid racer that fought in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and the great customized Tesla Model 3 we rented for a great track day last year. Unplugged is one of the most well-known and skilled authorised Tesla tuners. It is similar to how European tuning companies such as BMW’s Alpena and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG before their respective automakers bought and absorbed them. For now, however, UP is still an independent company. Unplugged Performance is moving away from cars that cops would likely chase and toward cars that cops would drive themselves. This week, the company said it would upgrade ten Tesla Model 3 cars and ten Tesla Model Y cars for the South Pasadena Police Department. This would replace the entire vehicle fleet with the department’s internal combustion engines. “Tesla’s incredible track record of dependability, low maintenance costs, impressive on-road performance, and driving dynamics make EV transition a safe choice for many departments,” the company adds. Aside from how much it costs to run and keep this current EV fleet, it’s clear that there are cost savings, and being able to use all of Tesla’s crash and safety systems to make officers safer is a bonus. In an email to MotorTrend, Unplugged Performance confirmed that the allocation would be “non-performance” versions of Tesla’s cars, but it didn’t say anything else about the allocation’s specs. There will be many different kinds made, and some of them will have ballistic amour and security, trucks with “prisoner cells” for arrests, and K9 units made just for them. Other changes that are easy to see include adding more lights and sirens, a graphics package, and safety features like a front bull bar. Unplugged is dedicated to its primary business, improving Telis for racing and private cars for daily use. The tuner wants to help more police departments convert their fleets to electric vehicles in the future. It plans to offer “Tesla-specific engineering, manufacturing, fitting, vehicle sourcing, and city/PD sales support to ensure the segment’s growth.” The company said that its first Model 3 and Model Y cars have arrived and have already started getting ready. The South Pasadena Police Department will get all 20 of its Tecla’s before the end of the year, the company says.
