IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa City Police Department took a step towards the future Wednesday when it showcased its first fully electric patrol vehicles.
Departments across the county are turning into electric fleets because they accelerate faster than your average gasoline-powered police cruiser. Helping officers keep up during pursuits.
Chief Dustin Liston said that was only part of the reason they started looking into purchasing EV patrol vehicles. Last year, the city conducted a study and found that this might be a way to help the city achieve its environmental goals.
“One of the city’s strategic goals is climate action,” he said. “We have a climate action department, so this is one step in that process.”
The car isn’t just more “green,” but Chief Liston said it is also a cost saver. The new EV patrol car costs about $5,000 more than the department’s average patrol vehicle. However, it is about $20,000 less expensive to operate over the vehicle’s lifespan.
“This is about a third of the cost per mile as a hybrid vehicle and a fifth of the cost of a fully gas vehicle,” he said.
The patrol car is the first of its kind for the Iowa City Police Department. Chief Liston said they would consider buying more after the car is on the road for about a year.
“We want to get through all four seasons to observe how changes in weather affect the range,” said Chief Liston.
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