SOUTH PASADENA, CA—The local police department here has become the first first law enforcement agency in the United States to replace its fleet of gasoline-powered squad cars with electric vehicles.

Police now patrol the streets in Tesla Model Y sport utility vehicles, while detectives use Tesla Model 3 sedans. The cars were modified for police use by Unplugged Performance’s UP.FIT division. A bank of 34 chargers installed at South Pasadena City Hall will keep the fleet vehicles running.

The move points to a new paradigm for police organizations, which traditionally have been reluctant to move from gasoline to battery power due to concerns about range, potential inability to charge when the grid goes down, and worries that the technology is new and unproven.

“Switching to these vehicles offers [us] the opportunity to acquire a cutting-edge vehicle fleet,” says South Pasadena Police Chief Brian Solinsky. “This initiative not only ensures the safest vehicles for officers and staff, but also leads to substantial reductions in both fuel and maintenance costs.”

The transition is expected to save about $4,000 a year per vehicle on energy costs, plus provide additional savings on maintenance, such as brakes, oil changes and air filters. Solinsky claims that the operational cost of EVs will be at least half the per-mile cost of ICE vehicles.