Turns out, converting North America's largest fleet of police cars into electric vehicles is easier said than done. Who could have guessed?
Driving the news: The RCMP is currently field-testing two Teslas — one on B.C.’s West Shore and the other on the grounds at Rideau Hall in Ottawa — as the national police service tries to replace as many of its ~12,000 vehicles as possible with zero-emissions options by 2035.
Zoom in: Last year, the RCMP got its first Tesla, and over the next year, it hopes to test out some Ford F150 Lightnings and Chevrolet Blazers — an EV actually built to be a police car.
- A few local police forces — including Oak Bay, B.C., Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, and Repentigny, Québec — have also introduced EV squad cars in recent years.
Why it matters: Like many Canadians, the RCMP faces a challenge with EV adoption. The service patrols eight provinces and all three territories, including remote areas without charging infrastructure and northern areas where conditions could quickly sap EV batteries.
- There’s also the hurdle of retrofitting certain vehicles to ensure they meet the standards of a functioning police vehicle, like wiring it for sirens and lights.
Bottom line: If EVs don’t work, the Mounties can always return to the OG low-emission vehicles: horses.—QH