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Tesla Model 3 used by Police Department reveals massive financial savings
The Westport Police Department in Connecticut has released a new financial analysis that is showing massive savings, as anticipated, after the purchase of a Tesla Model 3 that would be used as a police cruiser. The Police Department reports that it has already helped recoup the purchase price premium and helped save money for the department in its first full year of operation.
After purchasing a Tesla Model 3 in December 2019 and putting it to work in February 2020, Westport PD spokespeople said that the all-electric sedan has already exceeded expectations for performance, cost savings, and environmental benefits. After sparring with the idea of purchasing another Ford Explorer for the police fleet, cost-effectiveness became the big question. There is a $15,300 difference between the Model 3 and the Explorer, but Westport’s PD has no regrets about its decision.
Tesla Model 3 becomes first squad car for Connecticut police department
“The purchase price differential was recouped in the first year due to reduced customization and lower operating costs. All of these have been analyzed in detail,” the department said.
The EV Club of Connecticut completed a vehicle cost comparison analysis after the first year of ownership shows that, despite the additional initial cost of the Model 3, reduced maintenance costs, along with decreased customization needs for the Model 3, gave the department a savings of around $17,600. The ongoing cost of the Model 3 is comparatively less than that of the Ford Explorer based on routine maintenance and fuel costs.
Credit: EV Club of CT
Additionally, the Police Department is also considering purchasing another Model 3 to add to its fleet. After four years of ownership of the “Pilot” Tesla that the department purchased in 2019, the total cost is projected to be $79,400. If another Model 3 is added to the fleet, after four years, it will cost $95,800. The Ford Explorer would be much more expensive, sitting at $120,200.
The Westport Police Department outlined several conclusions after the analysis.
- After four years the Tesla will have saved enough money to buy another Tesla.
- Each EV avoids emission of over 23 tons of CO2 per year and saves $8763 in environmental and health costs.
- There is a $12,582 savings in fuel alone after four years from using electricity to power the vehicle.
- Reduced maintenance. Regenerative braking means that the engine slows the car and recaptures some of the kinetic energy, replenishing the battery and reducing wear on the friction brakes. It is one example of how an EV saves on maintenance. Other examples are no oil changes, spark plugs, transmission, alternator, water pump, or catalytic converter.
- Even during the winter months, the vehicle was able to consistently run two consecutive patrol shifts without needing to be recharged, and there were no operational issues related to charging and battery use.
The Town of Westport audited the financial analysis.
Chief Foti Koskinas, who was a vocal supporter of bringing the vehicle into the fleet, said, “Tesla has been a great partner, including re-coding where necessary. We would not have been able to do things like wire the electronics into the large battery or access the car’s computer without their help.”
Along with the massive cost benefits, the department says the instant torque and performance are key factors in overtaking a suspect’s moving vehicle. This increases the safety of the driver, officer, and other vehicles, as a traffic stop can be completed thanks to the lightning-quick agility of the Model 3 quickly.
Despite the large cost initially, the residents of Westport have been extremely positive. “Feedback from the public has been overwhelmingly positive, Charles Sampson of the Westport PD said. “We’ve have been contacted by at least 50 other police departments – from all over the world – with questions about our experience. I know many of them have gone on to purchase Teslas for their fleets.”
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Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.
Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.
This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.
Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.
Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.
Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.
Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.
After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.
By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.
Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing
It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.
However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:
Tesla has made a LOT of changes to its online shop recently — price increases, price cuts, new options, and several products being removed entirely.
Some of the biggest increases are wheel covers. 👀
📈 PRICE INCREASES
• 2017-2023 | Model 3 Aero Wheel Cover — Style: Refresh…— Phoenix Self-Driving 🐦🔥 (@PhoenixFSD) August 25, 2026
Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.
However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.
Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.
Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.
News
Tesla Robotaxi fleet gets a brain upgrade ahead of Cybercab launch event
Tesla’s Robotaxi service now runs longer hours nationwide as its unsupervised fleet quietly grows larger.
Tesla’s Robotaxi service just got easier to catch, with the company’s official Robotaxi account noting that rides are now available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, across its operating footprint. The account also said its unsupervised fleet is “a lot bigger” than before, though without specifics. The bigger change is what Tesla says upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution and routing is what’s actually cutting wait times, not a new Full Self-Driving version.
While Tesla did not name the team behind the upgrade, the language points to its AI and fleet software group rather than the driving stack itself. Vehicle distribution and routing in Robotaxi has functioned mostly as a dispatch problem with the software deciding which idle car goes to which rider, and how far it has to travel to get there. “Upgraded intelligence” suggests a smarter version of that dispatch logic, likely using demand forecasting to position idle cars near where riders are about to request them rather than reacting once a request comes in. Tesla’s AI division has built similar prediction systems for other parts of the business, including the neural networks that power FSD itself, so applying that same approach to fleet logistics would be a natural extension rather than a new discipline for the team.
Robotaxi now runs 6am to 10pm, 7 days/week
Unsupervised fleet is a lot bigger
Also, upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution & routing means you wait less pic.twitter.com/UFZ4bqg2dZ
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) August 26, 2026
Tesla is also about a week away from a separate robotaxi milestone. The company plans to launch Cybercab, its purpose built two seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin on September 3. Cybercab has been giving employees rides on public and private roads for weeks, and the September event is expected to fold those vehicles into the existing Robotaxi fleet within days of the launch.
Thank you so much @Tesla for inviting us to the Cybercab launch in Austin! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/F1rAR8zd5O
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 22, 2026
Austin previously ran Robotaxi from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. as of last September, a schedule set before the service expanded into Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and the Bay Area. Wednesday’s post did not specify whether that extended overnight window still applies in Austin specifically or whether 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. is now the standard across every market. Tesla’s post, visible on its official Robotaxi account, framed the change simply as fewer riders waiting around for a car.
Whether the wider hours hold once Cybercab enters the fleet next week is the next thing worth watching. Tesla has tended to expand Robotaxi in increments, first geofence, then hours, then fleet size, and each step so far has arrived without much advance notice.
Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider
Tesla ends in-house wrap service that always seemed like a short-term program
