Tesla police car runs out of battery during pursuit

A wanted suspect got a lucky escape from the police during a car chase in Fremont, California, after the Tesla police car ran out of power.

ABC News reported that officer Jesse Hartman moved into position when a suspect wanted in connection with a felony pulled out of a parking lot.

The police officer began a highway chase. He was racing at over 100 miles per hour when his Tesla Model S alerted him there was an issue.

"Just realized I am down to six miles of battery on the Tesla, so I may lose it here in a sec," Hartman said, according to Fremont Police dispatch audio obtained via Broadcastify. "If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the number one spot?" the officer said on the radio before he plugged the vehicle in to recharge it.

California Highway Patrol took over but they also had to abort the pursuit due to safety concerns, according to Fremont Police Department spokesperson Geneva Bosques.

[Photo from Fremont Police Department's Facebook page @FremontPoliceDepartment]

The suspect's car was later found abandoned in San Jose with no one inside, ABC News reported.

A report on the CNN wire service says the vehicle, a 2014 Tesla Model S 85, was on a 6-month pilot program at the Fremont Police Department.

Bosques said the vehicle was bought for 61,000 U.S. dollars last year and had just been returned from a flat tire fix so it wasn't fully charged.

The spokesperson also said the general range of one battery charge on this car is around 200 miles. "But when you are driving and accelerating at high speeds, there are certain triggers that make the battery go faster," she added.