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Takoma Park moves to test pursuit‑rated electric patrol vehicle in 12‑month pilot
Summary
The police department will pilot a pursuit‑rated Chevy Blazer EV in patrol and an EV for investigations, evaluate range and charging needs, and report back at six and 12 months; staff flagged charging infrastructure and cold‑weather range loss as key issues. Local union has been consulted.
Takoma Park police outlined a 12‑month pilot to test pursuit‑rated electric vehicles for patrol duties, part of a longer plan to transition the fleet toward lower emissions.
Police officials said the Chevrolet Blazer EV has been certified as pursuit‑rated by testing agencies and that a practical range of roughly 273 miles per full charge (level‑2 charging) is achievable in city service. The department plans to assign one EV to regular patrol duties and one to investigative use, then monitor real‑world range, charging downtime, battery performance and maintenance.
Why it matters: the city’s climate goals and long‑term fleet plans push toward electrification, but the pilot will test whether electric pursuit‑rated vehicles meet the operational needs of patrol work and what charging infrastructure is necessary. Police briefed council on lessons from peer agencies — cold weather can reduce battery range and public fast‑charger reliability varies — and noted an existing small set of chargers at the city facility to support the pilot.
The patrol proposal includes no operational duty changes for officers and will rely primarily on central charging at the police facility. Labor representatives (Local 400) were consulted and expressed support. Staff said vehicle purchase and up‑fitting costs are comparable to hybrids, and that fuel‑cost savings over time are expected but depend on local electricity costs and charger availability.
Next steps: if procurement proceeds the pilot will begin after vehicle acquisition and up‑fitting; the department will provide a six‑month interim report and a 12‑month final evaluation with officer feedback and operational metrics.
