US electric carmaker, Tesla, have created some special emergency vehicle versions of its Model 3 for use in the UK. The move comes as the UK government continues on its ‘Road-to-Zero’ strategy. The zero emissions cars will be trialled by the UK police, fire brigade, ambulance and other emergency services.
The idea is to help emergency services cut their carbon emissions, while having extremely capable and fast vehicles that are ideal for rapid response situations. The Teslas are going to be available across the UK emergency services for trial and assessment. This also comes ahead of the government’s plan to ban the sale of petrol and diesel car and vans by 2030.
Tesla said: “The car will be trialled by fire brigades, medical rapid response and police forces in a variety of roles. The adaptations and livery were completed by industry supplier, Halls Electrical Ltd.”
Tesla has not revealed the full specifications for the models being trialled. The Model 3 Performance variant, as shown in the pictures, can hit 0-to-60mph (0-97kph) in just 3.1 seconds, with a top speed of 163mph (262kph). This makes it the ideal car for the job, especially with its impressive electric range of up to 352 miles (566km) from a single charge.
Tesla UK added: “Model 3’s performance allows for quick response in both urban and rural environments and can present savings over internal combustion engine vehicles with low maintenance requirements and industry leading efficiency.”
