--- title: Officer Ends High-Speed Car Chase After Tesla Battery Runs Low description: A Fremont, California police officer involved in high-speed car chase ended his pursuit after the battery on his Tesla patrol car ran low. canonical: https://time.com/5687000/tesla-patrol-car-battery-california/ author: Gina Martinez article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-09-26T19:41:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T07:27:06.925Z article:section: U.S. og:title: California Police Officer Forced to End 120 mph Chase After Tesla Patrol Car Battery Runs Low og:description: Even so, police say the patrol cars are 'meeting or exceeding our expectations' og:url: https://time.com/5687000/tesla-patrol-car-battery-california/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: California Police Officer Forced to End 120 mph Chase After Tesla Patrol Car Battery Runs Low twitter:description: Even so, police say the patrol cars are 'meeting or exceeding our expectations' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # California Police Officer Forced to End 120 mph Chase After Tesla Patrol Car Battery Runs Low by [Gina Martinez](/author/gina-martinez/) ## Gina Martinez Sep 26, 2019 7:41 PM CUT by [Gina Martinez](/author/gina-martinez/) ## Gina Martinez Sep 26, 2019 7:41 PM CUT A Bay Area police officer was forced to end a high-speed car chase when the battery of his [Tesla](https://time.com/5549813/tesla-model-y-reveal/ "undefined") patrol car ran low, a Fremont Police Department official confirmed. According to the [dispatch providers blog](https://fremontstreets.blogspot.com/2019/09/police-tesla-in-120-mph-chase-runs-low.html "undefined"), at 11:05 p.m. on Sept. 21 the Fremont Police Department patrol vehicle spotted a Toyota Avalon that had been involved in a previous pursuit and had a “seizure order” on file. Audio of the dispatch from the officer was also posted to [Broadcastify.](https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/28028 "undefined") After the officer activated his siren the vehicle fled, triggering the officer to call for backup. According to the blog, the Tesla patrol car engaged in a chase that reached speeds of up to 120 mph before the officer signaled that his patrol car was in trouble. “I’m down to 6 miles of battery in my Tesla. I may lose it,” he radioed, allowing a backup unit to take his number-one position in the chase. In a statement, Fremont Police Department spokeswoman Geneva Bosques clarified to TIME that the officer ended his pursuit during the last minute of the 10-mile, 10-minute-long pursuit when his battery was running low. “His battery never died,” Bosques’ statement read. “There were several additional patrol units behind him.” According to Bosques, the Tesla was not fully charged at the beginning of the officer’s 2 p.m. Friday shift, noting that when the patrol car is fully charged, the battery life can last well over the typical 11-hour shift with life to spare. “There could be a variety of reasons why it wasn’t fully charged and I, unfortunately, can’t comment on the exact reason on this particular day,” Bosques said. “It happens from time to time, especially if an officer returns to the station to take a report and then they never go back out in the street.” Bosques says that despite the battery issue, this was the second pursuit the Tesla has “performed well in,” and said the department is keeping track of all data as they are still in the first 6 months of its pilot program. “This one instance does not in any way change our feeling regarding the performance of the vehicle for patrol purposes,” she said. “So far the car is meeting or exceeding our expectations.” In January 2018, Fremont Police [announced](https://www.fremontpolice.org/electricvehicle "undefined") the purchase of the 2014 Tesla Model S 85 patrol vehicles, their first all-electric powered patrol car. 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