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
EXCLUSIVE | Security increased for prime minister's advisers after break-and-enter incidents
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.

'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.
Memes, ski etiquette and that missing GoPro video: Highlights from the Gwyneth Paltrow trial
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
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.
UCP candidate, slammed for comments on pornography in schools, quits
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Here's how to know if someone is struggling with a video game addiction: Expert
A scientist at CAMH says video games have similar addictive features to gambling which cause social isolation of the individual and dependency on the activity.
'No question there need to be changes': PM responds to Nova Scotia mass shooting commission report
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
TREND LINE | Poilievre surpasses Trudeau when it comes to preferred prime minister: Nanos
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
Coroner rules against officer's 'suicide by cop' theory for Sammy Yatim inquest
A Toronto police officer's request to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was trying to die by "suicide by cop" has been rejected by a coroner overseeing an inquest into the youth's death.