A Tesla electric squad car? Lakewood trustees say no to police proposal

The Lakewood Village Board voted against the police department getting a Telsa electric squad car, which would have been the first in McHenry County.

The Lakewood Police Department proposed the purchase of a 2025 Tesla Model Y vehicle for $50,405 as a way to save money on gas and maintenance expenses. Village trustees voted in favor of purchasing the car in a 3-2 vote Tuesday, but the motion still failed as it needed at least four votes, Village President David Stavropoulos said. Village staff can bring up the proposal to be voted on again in the future, but it is unknown when and if they will.

The purchase qualifies for a $7,500 tax incentive through the U.S. Department of Energy. Village Manager Jean Heckman expressed concerns that the incentive might go away after President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House next month. Trump previously vowed to remove the federal tax credits for electric vehicles as part of his campaign. Tesla CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk has shown support for canceling the tax credits, saying it will hurt his competitors more than it would hurt Tesla, according to the Associated Press.

“There’s the $7,500 credit at risk, there’s the referral program at risk and there’s the fact that the car is out of warranty,” Heckman said. “That’s why it was brought forward now.”

Trustee Tricia Babischkin, who voted against the purchase, said she is on board with the idea, but is concerned with the timing in terms of budgeting. Trustee Bill Wayne also saw it as a rushed purchase and wanted to stick with the budget plan.

“We’re not flush with cash,” he said. “I think we need to be fiscally responsible.”

The police department has nine officers and four vehicles, Police Chief Mike Roth said. The department started a lease with Enterprise for three Dodge Durango police cars in 2021. Since then, two vehicles have been replaced, with one having a remaining 24 monthly payments of $674 and a balance of more than $16,000, according to village documents.

It is unknown how much money would still be owned depending on how much the Durango would sell for, Heckman said. The leasing agency sold their previous car at a loss, leaving little control for the village.

“We don’t want to be in this leasing arena anymore,” Heckman said. “It worked fantastic three years ago when we needed four cars all at once.”

The current Durango cars are out of warranty and the village had to spend $3,200 within two months for alternator repairs, Heckman said. Having an electric vehicle could bring further savings from fuel, oil changes and brake repairs. Each police car uses about $7,500 in gas each year, according to village documents.

“There’s still a misconception in the public that Tesla is a luxury vehicle,” Trustee Liz Delzell said.

Though there are saving in the long run, there are some hefty upfront costs. An extra $11,113 would go towards installing the charger at the public works department and equipping the electric vehicle. A $550 charging station and $225 in floor mats are included in the $50,000 vehicle price tag.

The Lakewood Police Department planned to put down a 10% payment of $5,040 and finance the car for five years with a monthly payment of about $892. To compare, the village has been paying about $900 a month for each leased Dodge Durango, according to village documents.

If it passed, this would have been the first electric vehicle police squad car in McHenry County, Roth said.

“Projecting down the line overtime, this will save us quite a bit of money,” he said. “I don’t see a lot of negatives to this.”