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Tesla Police Cruiser fleet rejected by department despite numerous success stories

Credit: Sgt. Clay Leak of Boulder PD

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A potential fleet of Tesla Police Cruisers was rejected by Spokane, Washington’s Police Department after an evaluation of the all-electric Model Y crossover did not convince some members that the vehicle would be effective for law enforcement. Despite several stories of success from Police Departments across the country and even internationally, Spokane’s Police Department brought plenty of concerns to the table.

However, when Spokane officers got their hands on the Model Y, they were not convinced of what they saw.

“They’re not a suitable police car. They are too small. They are not designed for police work,” Maj. Michael McNab said in a Spokane City Council meeting in late February. The Spokane Department was set to receive one Model Y crossover in early 2021 after it set aside time for determining infrastructure concerns like charging and receiving enough funding for the project.

The synopsis of electric vehicles as police cruisers from the Department’s Major McNab seems to put the Spokane Police in a bit of an awkward situation. While the Department and local political leaders are interested in adding at least two electric vehicles to their fleet this year, Teslas seemed to fall short in their reviews of the vehicle. In total, the Spokane PD will buy 64 new vehicles this year, hoping to eventually transition to less combustion engine vehicles and more electric ones. However, another manufacturer will likely be producing the EV police cruisers.

It is not all bad, and there are plenty of options moving forward. Luckily, the EV sector is not confined to a few options like it was several years ago. In 2018, mass-market and affordable EVs were few and far between: the Chevrolet Bolt EV was the United States’ most-popular electric car. That is, until Tesla ramped Model 3 production that year, basically catalyzing the rest of the automotive industry to get moving on plans for electrified options.

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Now in 2022, there are several vehicles on the market that offer sustainability and the necessities for a police cruiser. While the Model 3, Model Y, and Model S from Tesla have all made their ways into law enforcement agencies across the country, the Mustang Mach-E from Ford is also being considered by several departments, including one in Michigan and another in Europe.

Tesla-owning Officer convinces Sheriff’s Office a Model Y would be perfect fit

Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs told the Department that other options are available, but it is imperative the Department moves toward electric options as State and City laws require the transition “whenever feasible,” according to the Spokane Review (via Police1).

“If the Tesla isn’t the one you want, pick some you would like and try them out,” Beggs said during the City Council meeting. EVs are a focus of Beggs, who suggested other electric options, like Ford’s upcoming F-150 Lightning pickup. “Things continue to evolve. There’s better and better options,” Beggs said.

Officers are stating that they are not fully convinced of the availability and “readiness” of EVs, and are leaning more toward the Ford K8 Hybrid SUV. Fully electric options are not considered suitable by the officers, who believe the cars were geared with traditional passengers in mind. Employees were surveyed to determine their thoughts on the Model Y as a cruiser, which brought back plenty of concerns regarding space. With the needs of a Police Officer taking up some of the cargo space of the vehicle, it could be a tighter fit than other vehicles.

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However, so many departments have credited switching to EVs as a catalyst for economic savings and on-job advantages. The Westport Police Department in Connecticut showed massive financial savings during its first years with a Model 3 police cruiser. The Department also credited the vehicle’s lack of engine noise and quick acceleration as perks when performing police duties.

Maj. McNab seems unconvinced of the advantages. “For this 64-vehicle purchase, there isn’t a suitable electric vehicle solution, and if we were to buy any one of these alternatives we would just be experimenting with electric cars on a grander scale than we are with the two Teslas,” McNab said. Beggs believes the Department should be asking “How” EVs could work, instead of simply dismissing the idea altogether. “That’s my frustration with the Department,” Beggs said.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package hits first adversity from proxy firm

ISS said the size of the pay package will enable Musk to have access to “extraordinarily high pay opportunities over the next ten years,” and it will have an impact on future packages because it will “reduce the board’s ability to meaningfully adjust future pay levels.”

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tesla elon musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package, which was proposed by the company last month, has hit its first bit of adversity from proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).

Musk has called the firm “ISIS,” a play on its name relating it to the terrorist organization, in the past.

The pay package aims to lock in Musk to the CEO role at Tesla for the next decade, as it will only be paid in full if he is able to unlock each tranche based on company growth, which will reward shareholders.

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However, the sum is incredibly large and would give Musk the ability to become the first trillionaire in history, based on his holdings. This is precisely why ISS is advising shareholders to vote against the pay plan.

The group said that Musk’s pay package will lock him in, which is the goal of the Board, and it is especially important to do this because of his “track record and vision.”

However, it also said the size of the pay package will enable Musk to have access to “extraordinarily high pay opportunities over the next ten years,” and it will have an impact on future packages because it will “reduce the board’s ability to meaningfully adjust future pay levels.”

The release from ISS called the size of Musk’s pay package “astronomical” and said its design could continue to pay the CEO massive amounts of money for even partially achieving the goals. This could end up in potential dilution for existing investors.

If Musk were to reach all of the tranches, Tesla’s market cap could reach up to $8.5 trillion, which would make it the most valuable company in the world.

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Tesla has made its own attempts to woo shareholders into voting for the pay package, which it feels is crucial not only for retaining Musk but also for continuing to create value for shareholders.

Tesla launched an ad for Elon Musk’s pay package on Paramount+

Musk has also said he would like to have more ownership control of Tesla, so he would not have as much of an issue with who he calls “activist shareholders.”

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Tesla is adding an interesting feature to its centerscreen in a coming update

In a recent dissection of coding, Tesla hacker green noticed that the company is bringing in screenshare with Software Update 2025.38

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is adding an interesting feature to its center touchscreen in a coming update, according to a noted hacker.

In a recent dissection of coding, Tesla hacker green noticed that the company is bringing in screenshare with Software Update 2025.38. Details on the use case are slim, but he said the feature would export the car screen so it could be viewed remotely.

It would bring up a notification on the screen, along with a four-digit pin that would link the two together:

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As previously mentioned, the use case is unclear, but there are some ideas. One of which is for remote support, which is something Apple has used to help resolve issues with its products.

Support staff and employees routinely tap into customers’ screens to help resolve issues, so this could be a way Tesla could also use it.

This seems especially relevant with Robotaxi, as the screen might be a crucial part of resolving customer complaints when there is no employee in the car.

Additionally, it seems as if it will not be exclusive to those owners who have newer vehicles that utilize the AMD chip. Intel will get support with the new feature as well, according to what green has noticed in the coding.

Finally, it could also be used with all sorts of content creation, especially as Full Self-Driving videos and what the vehicle sees in Driver Visualization.

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As it is released, Tesla will likely release more information regarding what the screensharing mode will be used for.

For right now, many owners are wondering where it could actually work and what advantages it will offer for owners as well as the company itself.

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Elon Musk

SpaceX posts Starship booster feat that’s so nutty, it doesn’t even look real

The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver almost looked like it was AI-generated.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX has shared a video of a remarkable feat achieved by Starship’s Super Heavy booster during its 11th flight test.

The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver, which was captured on video, almost looked like it was AI-generated.

Super Heavy’s picture perfect hover

As could be seen in the video shared by SpaceX, Starship’s Super Heavy booster, which is nearly 400 feet tall, smoothly returned to Earth and hovered above the Gulf of America for a few seconds before it went for its soft water landing. The booster’s picture-perfect maneuver before splashing down all but capped a near-flawless mission for Starship, which is about to enter its V3 era with Flight 12.

The booster’s balance and stability were so perfect that some users on X joked that the whole thing looked AI-generated. Considering the size of Super Heavy, as well as the fact that the booster was returning from space, the hovering display all but showed that SpaceX is dead serious about keeping its dominant lead in the spaceflight sector.

Starship V2’s curtain call

As noted in a Space.com report, Flight Test 11 achieved every major goal SpaceX had set for the mission, including deploying Starlink mass simulators, relighting Raptor engines in space, and executing a stable reentry for both the Starship Upper Stage and the Super Heavy booster. The feat also marked the second time a Super Heavy booster has been reflown, a milestone in SpaceX’s quest to make the entire Starship system fully reusable.

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Starship’s V2 vehicle will now give way to the upgraded Starship V3, which is designed for faster turnaround and higher payload capacity. The Starship program is expected to pursue even more aggressive targets in the coming months as well, with Elon Musk stating on social media platform X that SpaceX will attempt a tower catch for Starship Upper Stage as early as spring 2026.

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