LAPD selects BMW i3 — not Tesla Model S — as its EV of choice

Southern California law enforcement just got a bit greener.

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The Los Angeles Police Department awarded BMW with the contract to supply the department with 100 i3 electric vehicles. After testing several green cars, including the Tesla Model S (which it notably rejected), the LAPD decided on the German-brand compact EVs to serve as transportation vehicles for officers and in community outreach initiatives.

Image: Danny Moloshok/Newscast

In a statement, BMW said that the LAPD chose the pint-sized i3 for its EPA-rated best-in-class efficiency, reliability and ConnectedDrive smart features. The number of easily accessible BMW i service centers and the price point also played into the department's decision. 

But BMW's willingness to integrate the LAPD's fleet management system into the i3 may have been an even more significant factor. According to BMW's statement, the company is "designing a web tool that will allow the department to track their fleet in near real-time" for improvements in deployment, utilization, and charging. The i3 has a per-charge range of 80 to 100 miles.

And for those who might say that American police officers should be driving American-made cars, the i3 is constructed from carbon fibers produced in a hydro-powered facility in Washington State.