I interviewed Reign Vermilion, the Woodcrest Police Department Captain, about the Department’s green initiative of switching to electric vehicles (EVs). “These are brand new models. It’s called the Eliminator… but it’s really just an EV especially designed for law enforcement officers (LEOs),” she explained. I asked her some more questions:
Q. What kind of range do these things get?
A. Range isn’t our primary focus, but these are supposed to get about two-fifty on a full charge. We really are more interested in idle time and charging time. We spend more time sitting still with lights and radios powered up than we do actually driving around, usually.
Q. Two fifty, that’s not bad at all. I guess sitting around would use up the battery and reduce it. Are you ever concerned you’ll run out of battery in a long, high speed chase?
A. We’ve never had a high speed chase here. Not sure we ever will. We can always call in back up.
Q. You haven’t changed all cars to electric, just some of them. Is that correct?
A. The idea is to go full electric for all cars. Some are still internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but all the patrol cars are EVs now. The State Police still have some gas-powered pursuit cars and they don’t make electric boats yet.
Q. That seems to be a common thing these days. What prompted the college police department to make the switch to electric cars?
A. Oh, WCPD is not a college police department. We do patrol the university, but we are Woodcrest City. The mayor was really wanting to reduce costs and show that EVs are viable, even for heavy-duty police work. The cost savings in fuel alone will make up for the initial cost and charger installation.
Q. Oh I see. So, does campus not have a police department? And was this more about cost savings than wanting to go electric for the environment?
A. Woodcrest University has never had campus police. They have some security officers, but they default to the City of Woodcrest for most policing issues. It does save them money and Woodcrest isn’t very big, so our department can easily handle all of it.
Q. Very nice. So, you guys do it all: keep us all safe, the town and the campus. How was the transition from traditional vehicles to EVs managed? Were there any challenges?
A. The main challenge we faced was finding a vehicle that met the requirements. Once we learned of this new vehicle specifically designed for LEO purposes, it just seemed right. Luckily, we were able to add the needed power and charging requirement when we got our new building, so there was no retrofitting needed on that part. We have some solar panels as well, providing enough power to offset the vehicle charging. The only thing we still use fuel for is our backup generator and the harbor boat, and both can run on biodiesel.
Q. That is excellent. Usually when transitioning to green sources there is an upfront cost, even though in the long term there will likely be savings. How did the Police Department afford these costs and were they high?
A. Yes, the initial cost was high and it did take the city planners and council some months to work out the money side of it. We had presented the proposal as part of our move to this new location, so we were able to negotiate a better price on the project as a whole, instead of separate expenses. Just the amount we save on vehicle maintenance will offset the cost going forward.
Q. Would you be able to give The Beaver Pride a number? There are some rumors that the PD is giving out extra tickets so that they can make money to afford new cars. What would you say to someone who makes such an allegation?
A. I would say that they don’t understand how policing works and should stop by for a ride along. WCPD does not have any quotas and our operating margins are low. Ticket revenue is such a tiny number in the overall scheme of things, it’s almost inconsequential. To convert the old location for EV upgrade was going to be about 2 million, but by adding the EV infrastructure into this new building, we were able to lower the cost closer to 1 million. The vehicles themselves are close to 75,000, which is more than the older cars, but the price over the life of the vehicle comes out to about the same.
Q. Well, that is good to hear. A million dollars is still a lot of money but the overall savings in the long term and the environmental impact make it worth it in my opinion. What kind of feedback have you received from your officers regarding the EVs? Do they love them, hate them, feel indifferent?
A. I think when they first learned of them they didn’t like the idea. But spending some time in the vehicle has changed their minds. We did a demo for a week and everyone got to try it out. They accelerate much faster than the old cars, and everyone seems to like that. They also have more interior room up front, so ingress and egress is easier when you’re geared up. I personally like the City Mode that these cars have, where it makes the pedal like a golf cart and you don’t have to hold your foot on the brake when stopping.
Q. I see, like regenerative breaking, I guess. The fast acceleration can be helpful for short, high-speed pursuits for sure… if there ever is one. What challenges, if any, did the department face in terms of infrastructure, such as charging stations? It looks like you have built your own stations. You told me a bit about it, but could you elaborate more please?
A. Yes, it’s more than just a charger. These are commercial chargers and can charge the cars to about eighty percent in around 90 minutes. They have a slow charge mode that we use most of the time though. With having multiple cars, there is always at least one that’s fully charged. The solar panels are connected to a power bank that has enough reserve power to charge four times, in the event of complete power loss. Also, our back up generator has enough power to not only keep the lights on, but also maintain charge to the power bank. It’s a complex system, but with the redundancy it is pretty foolproof.
Q. You have it all planned out and probably will never end up with a dead battery, hopefully. Do you have any concern that you might need to tow these because the batteries died? Also, are there plans to expand the use of EVs or other green initiatives within the department or on campus?
A. If we do get a dead battery, we can have the vehicle towed. Alternatively, we can use a boost charger to give the vehicle enough power to make it back to the station. The vehicles are actually capable of boost-charging each other and we have a portable one as well. I know the mayor has plans for more green initiatives within the city, but I don’t know the exact details. EV technology is still new and things like EV fire engines and EV ambulances will be something we should see in the near future.
Q. As you know, my generation is very interested in going green and saving the planet so it is a good and habitable place for many generations to come. Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about the vehicles or anything else about the PD’s green efforts?
A. Woodcrest Police Department is committed to keeping Woodcrest the safest town in Massachusetts, and that means not only protecting people and property but also the environment. We will continue to look for ways that we can improve our efficiency and reduce our impact on the environment.