Clay County Sheriff’s Office Switching to Chevrolet Tahoe From Ford Explorer
The Florida agency is replacing its Explorer patrol fleet with the Tahoe SUV.
Source: Action News Jax ↗
A Florida sheriff’s office is dropping the Ford Explorer from its patrol fleet in favor of the Chevrolet Tahoe, a switch the Clay County Sheriff’s Office projects will save money per unit over the vehicle’s service life despite a higher purchase price.
Sheriff Michelle Cook announced the Tahoe costs approximately $5,000 more upfront than the Explorer but is expected to last 30,000 to 50,000 miles longer, extending service life by one to three years. Resale value on the Tahoe runs double that of the Explorer, according to Cook’s announcement.
The agency plans to handle upfitting in-house, including building out and wiring cages, lights and sirens. That work is expected to save $4,000 per vehicle compared to contracting it out and will reduce the time between delivery and deployment.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office fleet shop is also pursuing GM Certified Warranty Center status. The certification would allow the agency to perform its own warranty repairs and be reimbursed directly by GM, cutting turnaround time on vehicles returned to service.
The office is also updating its vehicle logo, moving the application work from an out-of-county business to a local company. That shift is expected to save approximately $400 per vehicle and reduce processing time. The source material does not disclose the total number of vehicles in the transition or a timeline for completing the changeover.
Editor’s note: This industry update was provided by the supplier or source and has not been independently verified by Modern Public Fleet.
