A California police department that became one of the first law enforcement agencies to purchase a Tesla Cybertruck spent more than $150,000 on the vehicle after $20,000 of additional customizations, according to public records obtained by Forbes.
In July, Irvine police teased their Cybertruck acquisition on X, later telling the Los Angeles Times that it was “something fun to outreach, to capture the attention and imagination of the community.”
Invoices show the department opted for the most expensive Cyberbeast model, which primarily touts greater horsepower and range than the regular Cybertruck. On top of the vehicle’s $99,990 retail price, Irvine police also paid an extra $20,000 for the “Foundation Series” package — an upgrade that allowed buyers to receive their vehicles sooner, with “premium accessories” like laser-etched cabin graphics, a glass roof sunshade, “full self-driving (supervised)” and an attachable bottle opener. Sergeant Karie Davies told Forbes the Foundation Series was the only make available at the time.
The Cybertruck won’t be used for patrolling, Davies said, and will instead become part of the department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) unit. “It’s something we can highlight at our events [where] kids can come and take pictures.” According to Davies, the truck was paid for using the city’s “fleet funds account.”
Tesla’s Cybertruck had already been recalled four times when Irvine police bought theirs in May. Reports from other buyers showed that the model, which Davies called “a cool showpiece,” displayed a number of flaws, including a faulty accelerator pedal assembly, trim that came loose and risked flying off, and windshield wipers that stopped working, increasing the risk of a crash.
A separate invoice obtained by Forbes reveals the department also paid $20,000 to Unplugged Performance, a Tesla customization company, for the installation of unspecified “law enforcement equipment,” such as car lighting, radios and exterior graphics, Davies clarified. The company offers a service called “UP.FIT,” which, according to ABC 7 News, can facilitate “specialty tool and weapon storage, prisoner partitions, and canine enclosures,” and also offers internet access through SpaceX’s Starlink.
Text messages between an Irvine Police Department graphics designer and Unplugged Performance’s James Hedland — who launched the UP.FIT program for police, according to his LinkedIn profile — show them coordinating a custom car wrap for the Cybertruck in July. In one message, Hedland shared a link to photos of a Cybertruck that the shop had designed to look like a P-51 Mustang bomber plane. Hedland did not respond to a comment request.
Irvine is not the only police department to consider adding Cybertrucks to its fleet. In January, the official X account for the Rosenberg, TX police department tweeted at Tesla CEO Elon Musk, asking: “What do you think @elonmusk … will the #Cybertruck make a good police vehicle?” Musk responded with the 100% emoji. Police in Dubai added Cybertrucks to their “tourist police luxury patrol fleet” in June. That same month, the Anaheim Police Department began a pilot program that deployed a fleet of Tesla Model Y patrol cars, also “upfitted” by Unplugged Performance.
In January, California State Senator Dave Min announced $990,000 in state funding for the Irvine Police Department to spend on electric vehicles, chargers, and other equipment necessary to transition to a zero-emissions fleet. Min’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Irvine PD already has two tank-like armored vehicles designated for use “during high-risk incidents, special events, and community outreach.”In 2023, the City of Irvine declared that it was the “safest city of its size for violent crime” for the 18th year running.
The agency said it has no current plans to purchase another Cybertruck. “What did you think about the Cybertruck? I hated it until I rode in it!” one police employee wrote to an acquaintance in a text message obtained by Forbes. “Absurd,” the other person replied.
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