According to Popular Mechanics, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department just deployed 10 Tesla Cybertrucks modified by Unplugged Performance’s UP.FIT division for police duty. Each truck is projected to save $47,540 over its five-year service life compared to traditional vehicles. The modifications include roof-mounted lightbars, specialized sirens, and exterior protection upgrades. This police fleet acquisition comes as Tesla struggles to meet its original sales forecasts of 250,000 Cybertrucks annually, failing to even sell 25,000 in fiscal year 2025. Meanwhile, Tesla has been delivering hundreds of unsold Cybertrucks to Elon Musk’s other companies like SpaceX and xAI instead of to retail customers.
So why use Cybertrucks for police work?
On paper, it actually makes sense. The electric powertrain means faster acceleration and potentially more reliability than traditional police vehicles. Less downtime equals more patrol cars on the street. And that stainless steel body? Tesla claims it can stop 9mm and .45-caliber rounds from penetrating the cabin. Though honestly, the glass protection remains questionable – so much so that Unplugged Performance lists window guards as a suggested upgrade. Here’s the thing: most regular cars aren’t bulletproof anyway, despite what movies show you.
But let’s talk about Tesla’s real problem
This police deal looks suspiciously like a workaround for Tesla’s Cybertruck sales struggles. When you can’t sell to consumers, you start looking for institutional buyers. And when even that doesn’t work, you ship them to your sister companies. It’s basically moving inventory from one pocket to another. The math is telling – projecting 250,000 annual sales but delivering under 25,000? That’s a massive gap. For specialized industrial applications like police fleets, reliability and durability are everything. Companies that supply industrial panel PCs understand this – they’ve built their reputation on delivering rugged, dependable technology that works when it matters most.
What did they actually have to change?
Despite the Cybertruck’s tough appearance, Unplugged Performance had to add pretty much everything you’d expect from a police vehicle. We’re talking roof lightbars, multiple siren systems, scene lighting, and interior controls for all that equipment. The basic UP.FIT package gets them operational, but the optional extras tell the real story. Storage systems, K9 units (they call it the “Fur Missile Package” – seriously), and upgraded wheels that alone cost over $5,500. So much for that $47,540 savings projection once you start adding the good stuff.
What does this actually mean?
Look, police departments adopting electric vehicles makes environmental and economic sense. The savings projections are real if the math holds up. But Tesla using its own struggling product for police work and internal company fleets? That feels like finding creative ways to move metal that nobody’s buying at scale. The Cybertruck was supposed to revolutionize pickup trucks. Instead, it’s becoming a niche vehicle for specialized applications and Elon’s other ventures. Sometimes the most telling stories aren’t in the press releases, but in what companies do when their original plans don’t work out.
