Norwalk police are going green. The department unveiled its first two electric police cruisers on Friday.

And it’s not just Norwalk. Across Connecticut, a small but growing list of police agencies are experimenting with zero-emission vehicles.

But are they practical?

Officer Raul Aldarondo has a new ride – a police cruiser that doesn’t need gas.

“I didn't know how to start it at first,” he said.

Aldarondo is a school resource officer at Brien McMahon High. He is one of two SROs getting the Norwalk Police Department’s first electric vehicles.

“We’ll start with something that, you know, these things aren’t getting burnt out too quickly,” he said. “And maybe we’ll increase and see how far we can take these things.”

It’s a pilot program over the next 8 months to evaluate whether EVs are practical for all-day patrol shifts.

“We just took delivery of these last week, so we’re going to be assessing this program for possible expansion to all different areas of the department,” said Norwalk Police Chief Jim Walsh.

Norwalk joins a handful of police departments that are testing out electric and hybrid police cruisers, including Westport, New Haven, Madison and Wethersfield.

Westport police have used all-electric Teslas for five years now. The department’s patrol vehicle can log 16 hours a day on a single charge.

“The nice part about the EV vehicles, as opposed to the gas-powered vehicles, is that, for idling or when it’s sitting on the side of the road or not actively driving, it’s not using batteries,” said Lt. Eric Woods.

Limited mileage range is the biggest concern for most police departments.

“What people were worried about is, how would we go completely green with patrol cars that are running 20 to 22 hours out of the day between all three of our shifts,” said Aldarondo.

But beyond range, what about the cost?

Norwalk's two Chevrolet EVs cost $52,000 each – not much more than a gas-powered cruiser.

Westport’s Teslas cost more up front, including an expensive retrofit to add a police light bar and protective cage. But a 2021 financial analysis found that the department’s first Model 3 nearly paid for itself in one year. While it was $15,300 more than a gas-powered Ford Explorer, the Tesla saved $12,582 in gas alone – plus even more in lower maintenance costs.

"Regenerative braking means that the engine slows the car and recaptures some of the kinetic energy, replenishing the battery and reducing wear on the friction brakes," the report states. "It is one example of how an EV saves on maintenance. Other examples are no oil changes, spark plugs, transmission, alternator, water pump or catalytic converter."

Since then, the cost has dropped even more as automakers like Chevrolet produce electric police cruisers that don’t need retrofitting.

But the long-term cost is still unknown. Replacing an electric vehicle battery can cost more than $10,000, but the federal government requires carmakers to warranty batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Ultimately, the shift to electric vehicles is about more than money. It’s about cleaning the air and mitigating climate change. In Westport, one Tesla kept 23 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air in one year, the town’s analysis estimated.

“Electric vehicles are, you know, they’re a gamble now because they’re new and everything that's new will be expected,” said Norwalk High School senior Luis Palomeque. “But we need to trust electric vehicles.”