Lucid Motors has announced that its Air sedan is being used for testing by some California police, as many police departments have started adding electric vehicles (EVs) to their fleets in recent years.
In a post on X on Sunday, Lucid posted photos of the Air participating in tests for the California Highway Patrol, highlighting the vehicle’s range, interior, and cargo space. The company notes that the Air was a modified version of the vehicle, and photos show that it was outfitted for police use and painted to look similar to the CHP’s other patrol cars.
While the above Lucid Air isn’t being utilized by CHP at this point, many other EVs have started being used by police departments across the U.S. and other countries. The company’s own Grand Touring variant of the Air sedan has even joined a police department’s fleet in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tesla’s vehicles have also been outfitted for and deployed into police work in the past, with Unplugged Performance recently sharing a kit for the Model S Plaid. The company has also been responsible for Tesla vehicles now being used by police departments, recently including a Cybertruck deployed in Irvine, California, along with multiple Model Y Long Range units in Anaheim.
Others have been piloting early programs with Teslas and other EVs for the past few years, largely in an effort to save on gas and maintenance costs. In a post on X in February, Tesla said that its standard technology could save police departments over $4,000 in police equipment, along with the significantly lower cost of ownership compared to gas vehicles and the lower overall cost to taxpayers.
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