Police officers in Avon and Somerset won’t be chasing suspects in £40,000 Teslas in the next few years. 

Mark Shelford, the

Police and Crime Commissioner who holds the purse strings for the force, was urged to do more to address the climate emergency but said his priority was keeping people safe now. He will consider investing in electric cars when the

technology improves and prices come down. 

The PCC said he wants to follow the lead of Avon Fire and Rescue Service, which has more than halved its carbon emissions since 2008 and has a ten-year

environmental plan. 

Avon and Somerset Police already has a few electric cars but they are not used for responding to incidents. It has invested in solar panels and biomass boilers, uses technology to avoid unnecessary journeys and encourages PCSOs to patrol on bike or foot.

Stephen Sumner, LDRS