BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
The Palo Alto Police Department is adding two more Rivians to its fleet, including the first electric vehicle that will be used for patrols.
Each Rivian costs $79,885, plus $36,600 to outfit with bulletproof doors, electrical upgrades, police lights and a camera, computer, modem and radio.
Charging time
“The only con that we have found at this time is the charging time of the vehicle on the city charging network leads to longer down time,” Lt. Nicolas Martinez said in an email.
Altogether, the city’s total bill with Rivian is about $350,000.
The city debuted its first police Rivian in March 2025 at then-Mayor Ed Lauing’s “state of the city” speech at Rivian’s headquarters at 607 Hansen Way.
The city worked with Rivian because its EVs are most similar to the Ford Explorer and Dodge Durangos that officers currently use, Martinez said.
To be judged by performance
“We base this on performance, interior capacity, load capacity and range,” Martinez said.
The first Rivian has been used by watch commanders. The next Rivian will be used by any supervisor. And the third Rivian will be used for patrol, once barrier equipment is made for the backseat.
“We will continue to evaluate how the Rivians perform and if they will continue to meet the needs of the different positions,” Martinez said.
Be the first to comment