Police in Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, are trading in their diesel-operated vehicles for Tesla Model X P100D electric SUVs, CNBC reports.
Tesla calls the Model X “the safest SUV ever,” with the “lowest probability of occupant injury.” It has ample storage space, capable of storing up to 5,000 pounds.
The Model X also has state-of-the-art autopilot technology, which provides the operator with a “long-range view of distant objects” and helps with tight parking.
A statement by Basel-Stadt police reads, “The planned replacement of diesel combined vehicles with the Tesla Model X-100D brings several advantages in terms of economic efficiency, practicality and ecology.”
In response to this upgrade, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted, “The Swiss police are smart. Electricity vs diesel & maintenance more than make up for purchase price diff. Plus, the bad guys will def not escape. That’s worth a lot…”
The Swiss police are smart. Electricity vs diesel & maintenance more than make up for purchase price diff. Plus, the bad guys will def not escape. That’s worth a lot … https://t.co/fE6zmM8C3F
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 22, 2018
The financial disparities between the Swiss police department’s current diesel vehicles and the Tesla Model X SUVs are significant. The diesel vehicles cost about $100,693, while the Tesla Model X vehicles cost about $152,297. But the Tesla SUVs can cover up to 289 miles when fully charged, while the diesel vehicles cover only 124 miles in a day.
The difference in mileage, on top of “cheaper operating and maintenance costs for the Tesla Model X, will make up for the initial cost disparity between the electric vehicles and the diesel cars already in the fleet,” CNBC explains.