Cayce, SC 10/12/2022 (Paul Kirby) – The Cayce Police Department recently placed a donated 2021 Tesla Model 3 into service as a part of the city’s law enforcement fleet. According to Cayce Police Chief Chris Cowan, the car is the first e-car being used as a patrol vehicle in the State of South Carolina.
The car has been issued to Lt. Danielle McCord who is assigned to the Lexington 2 Innovation Center. Chief Cowan said that the cars benefits are immeasurable. Although the car has incredible 0 to 60 times, is faster than comparable gasoline powered cars, has plenty of top speed, and precision handling, its main use in Cayce will be community outreach.
According to the department, this e-car will also be a money saver in the future. It saves on the department’s fuel and maintenance budget. Chief Cowan has estimated that using this e-car could save an average of $6,000 on both fuel and maintenance cost. He based these calculations on numbers from other departments outside of South Carolina that have used e-cars for a longer period of time.
Cayce was blessed to have this car donated by 212 Motors, a used car dealership on Knox Abbott Drive in the city. The value of this car is approximately $50,000. Another business, Signarama, did the wrap and graphics of the car in a bright green and blue at no cost to the department. Its charging station was installed by Lexington County School District Two and is located at the Innovation Center.
This vehicle’s black rims and long, sleek look makes it look like all business at first glance. Within a few seconds of looking at the car though, you can see how it will attract crowds of children, teens and other people asking about its performance and capabilities. It’s easy to see that Chief Cowan is on the right track toward building a stronger relationship between the citizens and police. He’s already made great strides in those areas by bringing back the Coffee with a Cop events that stopped during the pandemic, put a therapy K-9 into service, and in several other ways.
If you lead a group in the Cayce area that would like to see the new e-cruiser or hear more about the programs of the Cayce Police Department, call them at (803) 794-0456. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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