Canada's first electric RCMP cruiser arrives on Vancouver Island
The RCMP's first fully electric police cruiser has entered service in Langford, B.C.
The shiny new Tesla Model Y was unveiled Tuesday and will be used by the West Shore RCMP on southern Vancouver Island.
Mounties say the vehicle is expected to reduce carbon emissions and the cost of fuel and maintenance compared to standard police vehicles.
According to the West Shore RCMP, the average cost of fuel and maintenance for one of their cruisers was $11,100 in 2020, with prices rising alongside inflation since then.
"This is the first ever fully electric RCMP police vehicle and we’re proud to be piloting it here in the West Shore detachment," said Supt. Todd Preston of the West Shore RCMP in a statement.
The West Shore RCMP is expecting to receive two more electric vehicles later this year, including a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV and Ford F-150 truck.
Mounties say the use of electric vehicles is "not a one size fits all approach" for different detachments across the country, since the RCMP work in a variety of regions.
Electric vehicles may not be tenable in northern regions, for example, according to the RCMP.
The early roll out of electric vehicles in the West Shore will be used by RCMP on a national level to see how electric vehicles perform, and where to best implement them.
"Our geography and mild winter weather make this an ideal test environment," said Preston.
While the new electric vehicle is the first to be used by the RCMP, other local police departments in Canada have introduced electric cars to their fleets, including in Oak Bay, B.C., and in Bridgewater, N.S.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Donald Trump indicted; 1st ex-president charged with crime
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year.

BREAKING | Ottawa gives final approval for Rogers $26B purchase of Shaw
Rogers Communications Inc's $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. cleared the last regulatory hurdle Friday, more than two years after the deal was first announced.
Police find 6 bodies, including 1 child, in St. Lawrence River
The bodies of six people, including one child, were found in the St. Lawrence River Thursday afternoon after an air search involving the Canadian Coast Guard, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police said.
House abandoned by couple who 'disappeared' years ago nightmare for neighbour on upscale street
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
'Nova Scotians' sense of safety was rocked': RCMP failures dominate inquiry's final report into 2020 mass shooting
A long list of failures by Nova Scotia RCMP leadership and policing systems dominate the final report into Nova Scotia's April 2020 mass shooting.
Lack of data on transit violence amounts to 'blanket of ignorance': Researcher
Canada needs standardized data on violence on transit systems to help tackle issues ranging from a lack of mental health supports to eroding public trust, say researchers, citing the recent stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy at a Toronto station as the latest example of random attacks on commuters.
Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault for ski collision, jury decides
Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn't at fault for the crash.
Trump's indictment in New York: Here's what to know
The vote of a Manhattan grand jury to indict the Republican former president on charges related to hush money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign catapults the now-candidate Donald Trump into a new era of legal risk and complicates his attempts to return to the White House.
Meet the Canadian astronauts up for a seat on the Artemis II mission to the moon
This Sunday, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will announce the four astronauts that will be blasting off to fly around the moon for the Artemis II mission, one of whom will be a Canadian astronaut.