HOLLAND, MICH. -- A police department in western Michigan will be solving crimes with a Tesla.

Detectives at the Holland Department of Public Safety will be driving a US$49,000 Tesla Model 3 after the city compared it to the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Bolt, which both cost much less.

The cost of the Tesla includes a long-lasting battery pack, enabling the car to travel about 483 kilometres on a full charge, the Holland Sentinel reported.

The car will mostly be used to drive to crime scenes or conduct interviews, city finance director Tim Vagle said.

He said test drives, warranty and resale value put the Model 3 ahead of other electric car options.

"Yes, there's a higher front end cost on this, but the fuel savings alone is generally pretty significant," Mayor Nathan Bocks said.