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Tesla Model 3 selected over Chevy Tahoe as fire chief’s new command vehicle
With the Tesla Model 3 proving itself as a viable alternative to gas-guzzling police vehicles across the globe, it appears that other key organizations such as fire departments are now looking to utilize the all-electric sedan for their operations. Among the most recent places to do this was Kennebunk, Maine, which recently revealed that it has acquired a Model 3 as a command vehicle for the city’s fire chief.
Interestingly enough, Kennebunk Fire Department Chief Jeff Rowe had been looking to acquire a Chevy Tahoe as his next command vehicle when he heard a presentation at the local Rotary Club about the effects of environmental changes. Kennebunk already has committed to energy efficiency, being one of the signatories of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Other vehicles were then considered, including the Model 3 itself.
Some say it's mystic….It's electric Boogie woogie, woogie! Way to go Chief Rowe! #marciagriffithsPosted by Kennebunkport Fire Department on Friday, August 7, 2020
However, the Model 3 was more expensive than the Tahoe, and it was above Efficiency Maine’s ceiling, which would have given the vehicle a $7,500 incentive. But it appears that Rowe was really set to drive an electric car, as a Tesla representative later contacted the fire chief about the Model 3’s options. As it turned out, if the fire department ordered a variant with a base white color, the all-electric sedan could meet the threshold for the state’s incentives.
The Kennebunk Fire Department ultimately acquired a Model 3 Dual-Motor AWD variant. The purchase ultimately cost $41,490 including the $7,500 state incentive. This made the Model 3 only $2,000 more than a Chevy Tahoe, and that difference is easily leveled out by the all-electric car’s gas savings. Rowe drives about 9,000 to 10,000 miles annually, after all, which translates to about $1,500 a year on gas. The Model 3, on the other hand, is expected to raise the fire department’s electric bill by $30 per month, which translates to about $360 per year.
For now, the Tesla Model 3 command unit is being used primarily by Rowe, as well as other fire department personnel. It’s used for traveling to inspections, fire calls, related meetings, and out-of-town events. The department is also building a slide-out office at the rear trunk of the Model 3 as a command center of sorts where the chief could keep track of updates at fire scenes. The Model 3’s command center is smaller than those found in SUVs, Rowe noted, though it was quite comparable to the Ford Crown Victorias that were used by the department before.
In a press release, Rowe noted that his transition to the Model 3 actually proved to be quite smooth. There are charging stations in the city, and a Level 2 charger had been installed at the fire department. According to the chief, he typically plugs in the Model 3 when he arrives at work in the morning, and the vehicle is usually fully-charged by noon. He also mentioned that the Model 3 behaves quite nicely on the road, since there’s no wait or hesitation when he presses on the accelerator. There’s just the rush of instant torque propelling the Dual-Motor AWD Model 3 from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
News
Tesla Model S completes first ever FSD Cannonball Run with zero interventions
The coast-to-coast drive marked the first time Tesla’s FSD system completed the iconic, 3,000-mile route end to end with no interventions.
A Tesla Model S has completed the first-ever full Cannonball Run using Full Self-Driving (FSD), traveling from Los Angeles to New York with zero interventions. The coast-to-coast drive marked the first time Tesla’s FSD system completed the iconic, 3,000-mile route end to end, fulfilling a long-discussed benchmark for autonomy.
A full FSD Cannonball Run
As per a report from The Drive, a 2024 Tesla Model S with AI4 and FSD v14.2.2.3 completed the 3,081-mile trip from Redondo Beach in Los Angeles to midtown Manhattan in New York City. The drive was completed by Alex Roy, a former automotive journalist and investor, along with a small team of autonomy experts.
Roy said FSD handled all driving tasks for the entirety of the route, including highway cruising, lane changes, navigation, and adverse weather conditions. The trip took a total of 58 hours and 22 minutes at an average speed of 64 mph, and about 10 hours were spent charging the vehicle. In later comments, Roy noted that he and his team cleaned out the Model S’ cameras during their stops to keep FSD’s performance optimal.
History made
The historic trip was quite impressive, considering that the journey was in the middle of winter. This meant that FSD didn’t just deal with other cars on the road. The vehicle also had to handle extreme cold, snow, ice, slush, and rain.
As per Roy in a post on X, FSD performed so well during the trip that the journey would have been completed faster if the Model S did not have people onboard. “Elon Musk was right. Once an autonomous vehicle is mature, most human input is error. A comedy of human errors added hours and hundreds of miles, but FSD stunned us with its consistent and comfortable behavior,” Roy wrote in a post on X.
Roy’s comments are quite notable as he has previously attempted Cannonball Runs using FSD on December 2024 and February 2025. Neither were zero intervention drives.
Elon Musk
Tesla removes Autopilot as standard, receives criticism online
The move leaves only Traffic Aware Cruise Control as standard equipment on new Tesla orders.
Tesla removed its basic Autopilot package as a standard feature in the United States. The move leaves only Traffic Aware Cruise Control as standard equipment on new Tesla orders, and shifts the company’s strategy towards paid Full Self-Driving subscriptions.
Tesla removes Autopilot
As per observations from the electric vehicle community on social media, Tesla no longer lists Autopilot as standard in its vehicles in the U.S. This suggests that features such as lane-centering and Autosteer have been removed as standard equipment. Previously, most Tesla vehicles came with Autopilot by default, which offers Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer.
The change resulted in backlash from some Tesla owners and EV observers, particularly as competing automakers, including mainstream players like Toyota, offer features like lane-centering as standard on many models, including budget vehicles.
That being said, the removal of Autopilot suggests that Tesla is concentrating its autonomy roadmap around FSD subscriptions rather than bundled driver-assistance features. It would be interesting to see how Tesla manages its vehicles’ standard safety features, as it seems out of character for Tesla to make its cars less safe over time.
Musk announces FSD price increases
Following the Autopilot changes, Elon Musk stated on X that Tesla is planning to raise subscription prices for FSD as its capabilities improve. In a post on X, Musk stated that the current $99-per-month price for supervised FSD would increase over time, especially as the system itself becomes more robust.
“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (Unsupervised FSD),” Musk wrote.
At the time of his recent post, Tesla still offers FSD as a one-time purchase for $8,000, but Elon Musk has confirmed that this option will be discontinued on February 14, leaving subscriptions as the only way to access the system.
Tesla has initiated Cybertruck deliveries in a new region for the first time, as the all-electric pickup has officially made its way to the United Arab Emirates, marking the newest territory to receive the polarizing truck.
Tesla launched orders for the Cybertruck in the Middle East back in September 2025, just months after the company confirmed that it planned to launch the pickup in the region, which happened in April.
I took a Tesla Cybertruck weekend Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned
By early October, Tesla launched the Cybertruck configurator in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, with pricing starting at around AED 404,900, or about $110,000 for the Dual Motor configuration.
This decision positioned the Gulf states as key early international markets, and Tesla was hoping to get the Cybertruck outside of North America for the first time, as it has still been tough to launch in other popular EV markets, like Europe and Asia.
By late 2025, Tesla had pushed delivery timelines slightly and aimed for an early 2026 delivery launch in the Middle East. The first official customer deliveries started this month, and a notable handover event occurred in Dubai’s Al Marmoom desert area, featuring a light and fire show.
Around 63 Cybertrucks made their way to customers during the event:
First @cybertruck deliveries in the UAE 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/sN2rAxppUA
— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) January 22, 2026
As of this month, the Cybertruck still remains available for configuration on Tesla’s websites for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Middle Eastern countries like Jordan and Israel. Deliveries are rolling out progressively, with the UAE leading as the first to see hands-on customer events.
In other markets, most notably Europe, there are still plenty of regulatory hurdles that Tesla is hoping to work through, but they may never be resolved. The issues come from the unique design features that conflict with the European Union’s (EU) stringent safety standards.
These standards include pedestrian protection regulations, which require vehicles to minimize injury risks in collisions. However, the Cybertruck features sharp edges and an ultra-hard stainless steel exoskeleton, and its rigid structure is seen as non-compliant with the EU’s list of preferred designs.
The vehicle’s gross weight is also above the 3.5-tonne threshold for standard vehicles, which has prompted Tesla to consider a more compact design. However, the company’s focus on autonomy and Robotaxi has likely pushed that out of the realm of possibility.
For now, Tesla will work with the governments that want it to succeed in their region, and the Middle East has been a great partner to the company with the launch of the Cybertruck.
Tesla Model S completes first ever FSD Cannonball Run with zero interventions
Tesla removes Autopilot as standard, receives criticism online
