A Tesla electric police car ran out of juice at a very inopportune time in the middle of a police chase.
Fremont Police Department spokeswoman Geneva Bosques told CNN that it remains unclear why the department’s Tesla wasn’t fully charged at the time of the pursuit.
The officer was driving the electric patrol car and pursuing an individual suspected of a crime in Santa Clara when they tried to perform a traffic stop. The vehicle then took off and sped away at high speed, beginning the chase.
“Just realized I am down to six miles of battery on the Tesla, so I may lose it here in a sec,” the officer driving the eco-friendly cruiser radioed into dispatch.
Other police units were also in hot pursuit, so they were able to take over after the power plunge with the assistance of California State Highway Patrol. According to Bosques, however, the chase was called off because the suspect’s driving deemed further pursuit unsafe.
Fremont Police are part of a six-month pilot program with the Tesla to see how it integrates into the force. Bosques said that the department is monitoring all of the data.
“We have no written policy regarding gas or charging, but the general guideline is that it should at least be half full at the beginning of the shift, which this car was,” she said.
