The Cybertruck could make a great police vehicle due to its acceleration, durability and efficiency
Oracle
Tesla's Cybertruck, now recognized as one of the most American-made vehicles, is catching the eye of law enforcement. This should not be a surprise considering some of the highlight videos of the vehicle during the delivery event. You have to admit RoboCop stepping out of a Cybertruck would look pretty natural.
Texas Police Department Considering the Cybertruck
Rosenberg, about two hours away from Giga, Texas, is considering upgrading their police vehicle fleet. The police department posted a picture of one of their vehicle beside a Cybertruck and wrote: What do you think @elonmusk… will the Cybertruck make an excellent police vehicle? It’s still hard to find new vehicles to replenish our older police units. Should we make the change in 2024? Of course, Musk responded with the 100% emoji.
Spotted out in the wild.
What do you think @elonmusk… will the #Cybertruck make a good police vehicle? It’s still hard to find new vehicles to replenish our older police units. Should we make the change in 2024? pic.twitter.com/WRlZWiSSK7
It’s already well documented that Cybertruck can withstand bullets and arrows, go faster than many top-end sports cars, and has offroad capabilities and lots of storage space. This stainless steel beast aligns perfectly with the demanding requirements of modern policing. Its adoption by police forces would be a forward-thinking move, signaling a shift towards more sustainable, efficient, and locally sourced equipment in law enforcement.
Transitioning to electric vehicles like the Cybertruck poses particular challenges for police departments, including initial costs. However, forces across North America have been adding Model Ys to their fleet, recognizing the long-term benefits - such as lower operational costs, reduced carbon footprint, and support for the American economy. Another snag in the plan would be the waiting list; it’s already over a million, and with production pegged at 200,000 to 250,000 a year, it will be long before police fleets can be turned over to Cybertrucks. It’s possible they can work around this with a special deal with Tesla for Foundation series trucks.
A Symbol of American Resilience and Innovation
Adopting the Cybertruck would be evidence of the technological advancements of American manufacturing and a significant morale booster, demonstrating faith in national capabilities and innovation. It represents a fusion of cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainable practices, showcasing a new direction in public service vehicle procurement.
Cybertruck’s Monroney sticker states that 65% of its components are US/Canadian-made. This puts Cybertruck far ahead of most other pickup trucks that may pop to mind as American-made products.
Company, Truck
US/Canada Parts
Honda, Ridgeline
70%
Tesla, Cybertruck
65%
Dodge, Ram 1500
61%
Toyota, Tundra
55%
Nissan, Titan
45%
GMC, Sierra
37%
Ford, F-150 (ICE)
32%
Chevy, Silverado
31%
Ford, F-150 (EV)
24%
This intense focus on domestic manufacturing is not just about creating superior vehicles but also about energizing the American economy and job market. Tesla's approach, emphasizing local sourcing and production, sets a new standard in the automotive sector, particularly for government and public service use.
The consideration of Tesla's Cybertruck by the Rosenberg Police Department and potentially other law enforcement agencies marks a pivotal moment in the integration of American manufacturing and public service. This move could set a trend for different departments, heralding a future where sustainability, performance, and national pride are critical factors in selecting vehicles for law enforcement.
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Tesla signaled its intention to launch its first Robotaxi network in Austin, Texas, with company-owned and operated vehicles, back in January. This network will be Tesla’s first foray into truly autonomous vehicles - ones that aren’t being directly supervised by a driver. Later in February, Tesla’s executive team confirmed that the plans were on track for the launch of the Austin network both on X and during several interviews that they participated in.
At the end of February, we also found out that Tesla has applied for a Supervised Robotaxi license in California, where the network will also launch, but with safety drivers in place.
This is an ambitious plan, but FSD has really come a long way in the past year. FSD V12 was a massive step forward from V11, and V13 has made the experience smoother and safer than ever before. FSD V14 is expected to be another big step up with auto-regressive transformers and audio input.
Still on Track
Now, Elon has tripled down on the fact that Tesla will be launching their first autonomous robotaxi network in Austin - just two months away at this point. It seems that Tesla is fully set to launch their first fully unsupervised self-driving vehicles that will carry paying passengers in June.
Additional Cities
The best part is that Elon also confirmed that they’re targeting robotaxi networks launching in many cities within the United States by the end of this year. However, remember that this will be a Tesla-run network at first - Tesla owners won’t be able to add their vehicles to the Robotaxi fleet right away.
Adding Customer Vehicles
It will take some time before Tesla meets their strict internal safety requirements before it lets customers add their own vehicles to the network. Tesla’s executive team mentioned that they intend to let owners add their own vehicles to the fleet sometime in 2026. This happens to be the same time frame that Tesla plans to launch the Robotaxi across the United States, Mexico, and Canada — something that could only be done with customer-owned cars.
That final step will be bold—and it may come with complications, especially given that autonomous vehicle approval spans municipal, state or provincial, and even federal levels. There are plenty of regulatory hurdles ahead, but this is undoubtedly shaping up to be one of the most exciting times for Tesla.
Launch Event
With the Robotaxi network launching and Unsupervised FSD just around the corner, there’s a lot to get excited about. Tesla is expected to host a launch event at Gigafactory Texas in Austin to mark the debut of its first Robotaxi network. The company previously hinted that referral code users could receive invites—offering a rare chance to score an early ride in a Robotaxi outside the Hollywood studio lot.
Tesla’s engineering mule vehicles—used to test autonomy for future platforms—have resurfaced after an extended absence. The last time we saw them was back in July, when Tesla was gearing up for its initial We, Robot event. Since then, sightings have been scarce.
These vehicles typically signal that Tesla is testing new camera placements or validating FSD ground-truth data. This time, however, they appear to be outfitted exclusively with the updated camera hardware seen on the Cybercab.
New Sightings
The mules have now been spotted in Boston, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire—their first known appearances this far east. This suggests Tesla is actively collecting data to evaluate and optimize FSD performance in new regions. Thanks to Reddit user Ready_Medium_6693 for catching the one in Concord.
Elon Musk recently mentioned that Tesla plans to expand Robotaxi networks beyond the initial Texas and California launches. So while these sightings aren’t entirely unexpected, the speed of their arrival is. It suggests Tesla is confident in its ability to train FSD for local traffic rules and driving behaviors to the point it no longer needs a driver.
Bumper Cameras
The vehicle that’s been spotted in Boston is the usual Tesla engineering Model 3… except with one unique twist. It includes a front bumper camera. Shout out to @Dylan02939106 for catching the bumper camera in these photos.
The Refreshed Model 3 Mule with a Bumper Camera!
@Dylan02939106 on X
We previously released an opinion piece regarding whether the front bumper camera would be required for Unsupervised FSD. In our eyes, Tesla will require a bumper camera for Unsupervised FSD - if only to improve direct visibility in the bumper area of the vehicle. This is key for low-speed maneuvering in crowded areas like parking lots and garages, as well as for key features like Actually Smart Summon.
It isn’t surprising that Tesla is continuing to evaluate vehicles with a bumper camera - the Cybertruck, Cybercab, and Refreshed Model Y all have them now - and the rest of the lineup, including the flagship Model S and X, as well as the refreshed Model 3 - were supposed to eventually receive them as well.
With the Model S and Model X set for refreshes this year—and the front bumper camera on this Model 3 looking well-integrated rather than a temporary setup—it seems likely that front bumper cameras will soon become standard across Tesla’s entire lineup.
The Robotaxi Mule in Boston
@Dylan02939106 on X
In fact, Tesla’s newest iteration of the FSD computer has a slot for the Bumper Camera on all AI4/HW4 vehicles, so a future retrofit could even be possible.
These are some pretty exciting times - we may see Robotaxi networks actually deploy in time for Tesla’s lofty goal of “sometime in 2026” for cities throughout North America. Once many American cities begin to accept their deployment, it will be easier to seek homologation in Mexico and Canada, enabling deployment throughout the continent.
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