Tesla police cars in Basel last longer than expected

“The initial plan was to replace them by the end of 2025. However, tests have shown that longer use is also possible,” police spokesperson Rooven Brucker explained to BZ Basel. The assumption was that the electric cars would be too worn out after five years. However, the Basel police have found that the wear and tear is significantly less compared to cars with combustion engines.

The vehicles in question are seven Tesla Model Xs, specifically the top-of-the-range X 100 D model at the time. The decisive factor for opting for seven Model Xs was that, according to police, Tesla was the only car manufacturer at the time to offer an electric car that could fulfil the requirements of the cantonal police. Therefore, the higher purchase costs were not a criterion for exclusion. According to previous information, each Model X cost around CHF 140,000, including the police conversion, while a conventional vehicle would have cost an estimated CHF 90,700 at the time.

The Teslas have been in police service since 2019, and their mileage is “over 100,000 kilometres,” according to a report by BZ Basel. The police spokesperson did not say when they would actually be replaced after extending their service. Should there be a next tender, “Tesla may also apply.”

The Basel police force has around 200 vehicles on the road. The seven Teslas were joined three years ago by eight Nissan Leafs – but only one of these is on the road in police livery.

bzbasel.ch (in German)