WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Waco Police are testing the advantages and disadvantages of implementing electric vehicles into its fleet. This is part of the city of Waco's sustainability initiatives.
- The city of Waco already has 25 EVs in its fleet, not including the newest police vehicles.
- Waco’s fleet services say they’ve seen relatively good things with the electric police vehicles and will continue to collect performance data from the cars.
- Waco Police tell 25 News that a decision has not yet been made about electric vehicles, and there is no time frame for when these tests will be completed.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
You may see a new electric police vehicle while making your way around town.
"It does look good out there and attracts attention, obviously," Eric Coffman said.
Waco's Sustainability Programs Manager Eric Coffman says electric vehicles like this one are really great for the environment.
"They produce zero emissions, which makes our air a lot cleaner," he said.
Coffman told 25 News it's a city priority to keep our environment clean and safe for our neighbors, so it's investing in electric vehicles.
While the city of Waco already has a fleet of 25 EVs, this is the first used by the police.
"We are testing out one vehicle right now to see how it performs," Coffman said. "It is outfitted with a certain amount of the police equipment, but we have to make sure that police are in vehicles that can handle the job requirements."
Waco police tell me the EV is undergoing numerous tests to identify possible advantages and disadvantages of making it a part of their fleet.
"With police vehicles, we've got some significant power and range requirements to keep those able to do what the police require of them."
Overall, Coffman tells me electric vehicles have a lower cost of fuel and maintenance. For example, an EV can go 100 miles for $2—which is a fuel savings for the city. The EVs also don't require oil changes, and they save money on maintenance.
However, Coffman says the biggest drawback is the range and charging infrastructure, along with the time it takes to charge. He also says the majority of the city's EVs are used for less strenuous tasks such as code enforcement and inspection departments.
