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Tesla Cybertruck police cruiser gets official unveil, deploys this year

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT

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After viewers got a glimpse of a Tesla Cybertruck police cruiser last week, Unplugged Performance has now officially unveiled the vehicle, as debuted this week by its UP.FIT government and fleet outfitting unit.

On Friday morning, Unplugged Performance officially launched its police cruiser-outfitted Cybertruck from UP.FIT, after it was teased in a brief video from the company last Friday. The vehicle includes police lights on top and surrounding the vehicle’s bumpers and sides. The company has also added the expected sirens, PA loudspeaker system, and upgraded radio and computer systems that feature specialized wiring and other proprietary integrations.

Tesla Cybertruck police cruiser designs made waves on the internet last year, but with the latest official release from Unplugged, police department customers will actually be able to get Cybertrucks outfitted for duty. UP says it expects to begin deploying the outfitted Cybertrucks this year.

“The UP.FIT Cybertruck Next-Gen Patrol vehicle represents a significant engineering leap into the future, and we’re excited to offer law enforcement agencies the future of policing,” says Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer in a statement to Teslarati. “We’ve been thrilled with the direct feedback from police departments that have participated in our Cybertruck development, and we look forward to deploying these complete UP.FIT vehicles to law enforcement agencies across the nation this year.”

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT. Bespoke images created for Unplugged Performance and/or BulletProof Automotive

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT. Bespoke images created for Unplugged Performance and/or BulletProof Automotive

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT. Bespoke images created for Unplugged Performance and/or BulletProof Automotive

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT. Bespoke images created for Unplugged Performance and/or BulletProof Automotive

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT. Bespoke images created for Unplugged Performance and/or BulletProof Automotive

Credit: Unplugged Performance/UP.FIT. Bespoke images created for Unplugged Performance and/or BulletProof Automotive

The company says it can customize the Cybertruck upgrades to an individual organization’s needs, either for tactical, military, or search and rescue missions. The design is also customizable in terms of offering space for prisoners, weapon or specialty tool storage, K9 units, or other upgraded vehicle options such as wheel and tire packages, braking, extreme off-road, and Starlink use.

UP.FIT has also outfitted Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y for a handful of police departments over the year. Recently, the company also debuted fully outfitted Model Y units for the Anaheim police department, following a similar deal with the South Pasadena police department last year.

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Many police departments that have been piloting programs with electric vehicle (EV) cruisers over the past few years, and results have shown that they stand to save money with them when comparing the fuel and maintenance costs of gas cars. In February, Tesla itself highlighted this detail by claiming that its EVs could save police departments over $4,000 in police equipment.

The company is also well-known for being behind the Model S Plaid dubbed “Dark Helmet,” after being driven for multiple years by racecar driver Randy Pobst in Colorado’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Elon Musk encourages Tesla Cybertruck for police use

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Elon Musk

Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence

The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk. 

The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.

Musk details AI chip roadmap

In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle. 

He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.

Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.

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AI5 manufacturing takes shape

Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.

Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.

Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.

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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.

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Credit: ANCAP

The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.

The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring. 

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.

The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.  

ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.

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“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.

“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.

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Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade

Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.

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Credit: Tesla Charging/X

Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.

Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.

Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error. 

More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report. 

Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.

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Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.

Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.

“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted. 

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