California police aren’t loving their Tesla cop cars

Elon Musk on Thursday night rolled out the latest tech from Tesla, saying of its sleek Cybercab robotaxis and a prototype of its new electric van that “the future should look like the future.”

Back in the present day, however, California police departments are beginning to regret the decision to replace their fleets with Tesla Y models. Though climate friendly – preparing the departments for a zero-emissions future –  turns out the Teslas pose a lot of other challenges, per SFGate interviews with three Northern California police chiefs.

Once modified, for example, the car’s back seat is too small for more than one passenger, with the front too cramped for the officers. The chiefs further cite  “autopilot interference” when trying to pull off the road; say a reliance on unsecured charging stations makes officers vulnerable when it comes to transporting suspects long distances; and note that in a firefight, police are taught to hide behind a car’s engine block. With EVs, that’s not an option.