Palo Alto Police Skip Local Tesla HQ To Buy Country’s First Rivian R1S Cruiser
- Several other police departments throughout California and using EVs.
- A Palo Alto police captain says the R1S is more spacious than the Ford Explorer.
- It’s unclear if the agency will purchase any other EVs from Rivian.
The first-ever R1S police cruiser has officially made its debut in the United States, and it’s headed straight to Palo Alto, home to Rivian’s sprawling facility. The electric SUV was unveiled at a recent event at Rivian’s headquarters, where local Mayor Ed Lauing took a moment to shower the company with praise. Interestingly, the charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County is also home to Tesla’s new global engineering HQ since 2023
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Read: 2025 Rivian R1S And R1T Combine Tired Looks With New Tech And More Power
Unlike some other police cruisers throughout the United States, this R1S doesn’t have a particularly shouty and gaudy livery, and is quite subtle. Most of the exterior is clad in gloss black, but the front doors are trimmed in white. The department’s badge is also featured prominently on the side of the electric SUV.
The R1S Cruiser Still Needs a Few Tweaks
Apparently, the R1S will also get the customary red and blue roof light bar that most good cop cars have, but it didn’t arrive in time for the event. It also needs to be fitted with a push bar, and Rivian’s engineers are working with the city to get the cabin equipped with all the custom equipment they need.
Speaking with Palo Alto Online, Capt. James Reifschneider said the R1S offers more cabin space than the Ford Explorers and Jeep Durangos the agency currently uses.
While giving his State of the City presentation, Palo Alto Major Ed Lauing praised Rivian and his plans for the area.
“The electric car was created years before Rivian first shipped their EV, but Rivian wanted to be the best EV in the future, not the first EV of the past,” he said. “That sounds a lot like Palo Alto to me because Palo Alto is a great place to live and work and shop and play and go to school and that isn’t enough. We’re always looking to be more innovative going forward and to make our place in Palo Alto even better.”
Other Police EVs
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Plenty of other police agencies across California have started to add EVs to their fleets, but these moves haven’t been without hiccups. The South Pasadena Police Department has replaced its entire fleet with Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys, but some departments have complained about the lack of space offered by these two Tesla models. The Rivian R1S is much larger, but it’s also much more expensive, starting at $75,900 in base guise before any expensive upgrades are made.
There’s no word on whether police in Palo Alto plan to add more Rivian models to their fleet.
Opening image via Rivian Forums
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