A city in Los Angeles County announced it has become the first in the nation to switch to an all electric police vehicle fleet.

The South Pasadena Police Department's zero-emission fleet consists of 20 new Tesla vehicles that will be charged at city hall, according to a news release. The Tesla Model Y police cruisers proved to outperform its gas-powered ones while also being safer, cheaper and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, the department said.

"We had an existing fleet that was probably end of life three or four years ago so we were looking for a solution to replace our fleet all at once," Sgt. Tony Abdalla said in a SPDP video posted on X Monday. "What we found is Tesla was not only a viable option but it was the best option. The city is very environmentally and sustainability conscious. We got a much better performing car that costs significantly less to maintain and fuel."

The switch, approved by the city council in September 2022, follows three years of research into over 35 other U.S. law enforcement agencies that integrated one or more Tesla BEVs into their police fleet.

Earlier this year the Anaheim Police Department added six Tesla police vehicles as part of pilot program that launched in April addressing a patrol vehicle shortage.

Switch to save city around $400,000 over a decade

South Pasadena city staff reports found that the transition is expected to save the city about $4,000 a year per vehicle, thanks to cheaper costs for energy and maintenance needs like brakes, oil changes and air filters, a news release stated.

Over a 10-year period, the city is projected to save around $400,000 as operational cost are reduced by at least half, the city reported.

"This transition reflects the city’s vision of a sustainable future based on both sound fiscal management and environmental stewardship," South Pasadena Mayor Evelyn Zneimer said in a news release. "The City Council is fully behind this transition. We will have a 21st Century police force that is safe, clean and saves taxpayer dollars."

The city added that it eventually plans to implement a solar powered system with battery storage to power City Hall, the Police Station and the Fire Station buildings.

Los Angeles-Long Beach area leads ozone pollution in US

The transition, which will limit climate change contributors like nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emissions, comes as California continues to see unhealthy pollution levels.

This year, the Los Angeles-Long Beach area was ranked the worst in the country for ozone pollution as well as the sixth-worst for annual particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association.

The West Coast is home to most of the top-10 metro areas with particulate-matter pollution this year, pollution likely explained by region's roadways, agriculture, oil and gas industries and massive wildfires.

California is currently grappling with the Park Fire, the fifth-largest fire in the state's history that was only 14% contained Tuesday as of around noon Pacific Time.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY

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