A California police officer was pursuing a suspect vehicle when his electric squad car began running low on juice, causing him to leave the chase, police confirmed.
Fremont Officer Jesse Hartman was driving a Tesla Model S patrol car Friday night when he radioed the situation to dispatch, The East Bay Times reported. He had been chasing a "felony vehicle" and reaching speeds has high as 120 mph.
“I am down to 6 miles of battery on the Tesla so I may lose it here in a sec,” Hartman said. “If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the No. 1 spot?”
Other officers took over the chase, which was soon deemed too unsafe to continue, KPIX-TV reported. The suspect vehicle was later found abandoned in San Jose.
Hartman found a charger in San Jose for the patrol car, said Fremont police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques.
“The Tesla wasn’t fully charged at the beginning of the shift,” Bosques said. “This unfortunately happens from time to time even in our vehicles that run on gas, if they aren’t refueled at the end of a shift.”
It's unclear why the vehicle wasn't charged.
The Tesla was added to the patrol fleet earlier this year as part of a pilot program to determine whether electric vehicles are suitable for police use, the Times reported.
About the Author
