Tesla police cruiser runs low on battery, disrupting chase

A Fremont, Calif., police department’s Tesla cruiser reportedly ran low on battery during a chase last week, having to give up the pursuit.

Officials told San Francisco’s CBS affiliate that someone at the department forgot to charge the 2014 Tesla Model S, and an officer chasing a vehicle toward South Bay later radioed in that he was running out of battery.

{mosads}“Just slowed down to six miles of battery on the Tesla, so I may lose it here in a sec,” the officer said, according to CBS News. “If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the number one spot?”

The officer had tried to conduct a traffic stop after finding the vehicle in connection with a crime in Santa Clara, but the car sped away, CNN reported on Wednesday. 

Other police reportedly joined on the pursuit, which was eventually called off because the suspect was driving dangerously. The car was found abandoned in San Jose.

“The Tesla wasn’t fully charged at the beginning of the shift,” a Fremont police spokesperson told CBS. “This unfortunately happens from time to time even in our vehicles that run on gas, if they aren’t re-fueled at the end of a shift.”

Six months ago, the Fremont Police Department launched a pilot program utilizing electric cars to limit greenhouse gas emissions, according to CNN. The Fremont spokesperson told the news network that this incident would have no impact on its future plans for electric cars.

The Hill reached out to the department for comment.