General Discussion

IcyPeas

(24,883 posts) Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:05 PM Nov 2

Tesla trucks donated to Las Vegas police

â€œ.. thanks to a donation from a U.S. tech billionaire, raising concerns about the blurring of lines between public and private interests.â€

@apnews.com $TSLA
apnews.com/article/las-...
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) 2025-11-02T13:45:05.653Z

https://apnews.com/article/las-vegas-tesla-cybertruck-police-metro-f8294c00635009a78fa8a86741eec2ca

20 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Tesla trucks donated to Las Vegas police (Original Post) IcyPeas Nov 2 OP

Elon buying get out of jail free cards? Walleye Nov 2 #1

from what I heard, Elon wasn't the donor vapor2 Nov 2 #15

Correct. Ben Horowitz and wife: IcyPeas Nov 3 #19

can't sell them lapfog_1 Nov 2 #2

I think this is the 10th recall of cyber trucks vapor2 Nov 2 #16

Is that like selling used Koozies at a garage sale? BOSSHOG Nov 2 #3

Other police departments have tested Teslas as patrol vehicles and concluded RockRaven Nov 2 #4

They were donated? Police departments rarely RubyRose Nov 2 #9

"Cybertrucks" True Dough Nov 2 #5

Tourism is way, way down in sin city, mwmisses4289 Nov 2 #10

It is a better use of them than setting them on fire. Turbineguy Nov 2 #6

Well, they do that on their own, don't they? Conjuay Nov 2 #11

I have nothing to to back this up but RandySF Nov 2 #7

We can only hope. buzzycrumbhunger Nov 2 #12

Can't sell the rust- buckets. Bread and Circuses Nov 2 #8

At least nobody will be around to see them Blue Owl Nov 2 #13

I think I see what's going on here jmowreader Nov 2 #14

Did you include these options: IcyPeas Nov 3 #20

Well, it will be easy to spot the cops. Marie Marie Nov 2 #17

Space X is also "buying" hundreds of those stupid trucks tinrobot Nov 2 #18

Walleye

(43,846 posts)

1. Elon buying get out of jail free cards?

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:08 PM

Nov 2

vapor2

(3,798 posts)

15. from what I heard, Elon wasn't the donor

Reply to Walleye (Reply #1)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 10:48 PM

Nov 2

IcyPeas

(24,883 posts)

19. Correct. Ben Horowitz and wife:

Reply to vapor2 (Reply #15)

Mon Nov 3, 2025, 12:05 AM

Nov 3

The Las Vegas fleet was a donation totaling about $2.7 million from Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the Silicon Valley venture capital firm known as Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, and his wife, Felicia Horowitz.

See linked AP article in OP.

lapfog_1

(31,676 posts)

2. can't sell them

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:11 PM

Nov 2

inflate the value and take a tax write off

vapor2

(3,798 posts)

16. I think this is the 10th recall of cyber trucks

Reply to lapfog_1 (Reply #2)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 10:49 PM

Nov 2

BOSSHOG

(44,738 posts)

3. Is that like selling used Koozies at a garage sale?

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:12 PM

Nov 2

Have the headlights been fixed?

RockRaven

(18,740 posts)

4. Other police departments have tested Teslas as patrol vehicles and concluded

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:12 PM

Nov 2

that there are numerous reasons why they are not appropriate substitutes for the old standard models.

So one must ask: what caused LVPD to decide contrariwise, or did they not even bother to think this through?

RubyRose

(316 posts)

9. They were donated? Police departments rarely

Reply to RockRaven (Reply #4)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:47 PM

Nov 2

turn down free stuff.

True Dough

(25,876 posts)

5. "Cybertrucks"

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:12 PM

Nov 2

should be a crime in themselves.

mwmisses4289

(3,266 posts)

10. Tourism is way, way down in sin city,

Reply to True Dough (Reply #5)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:48 PM

Nov 2

impacting city budgets. They are probably desperate to get vehicles that they had budgeted for last year, before it was elected.

Turbineguy

(39,853 posts)

6. It is a better use of them than setting them on fire.

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:15 PM

Nov 2

Conjuay

(2,906 posts)

11. Well, they do that on their own, don't they?

Reply to Turbineguy (Reply #6)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:50 PM

Nov 2

RandySF

(81,206 posts)

7. I have nothing to to back this up but

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:20 PM

Nov 2

I think we have no idea how bad Tesla's situation really is.

buzzycrumbhunger

(1,663 posts)

12. We can only hope.

Reply to RandySF (Reply #7)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:55 PM

Nov 2

Bread and Circuses

(1,590 posts)

8. Can't sell the rust- buckets.

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 08:41 PM

Nov 2

Blue Owl

(58,181 posts)

13. At least nobody will be around to see them

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 09:48 PM

Nov 2

jmowreader

(52,908 posts)

14. I think I see what's going on here

Reply to IcyPeas (Original post)

Sun Nov 2, 2025, 09:48 PM

Nov 2

I went to Tesla's website and configured a "Cyberbeast" model with all the options. It came to $120,235.

Multiply by the 10 he gave to the LVPD and it's $1,202,350.

Which he will deduct from his taxes as a charitable contribution.

IcyPeas

(24,883 posts)

20. Did you include these options:

Reply to jmowreader (Reply #14)

Mon Nov 3, 2025, 12:12 AM

Nov 3

..... flashing lights and sirens...

The all-electric vehicles are equipped with shotguns, shields and ladders and additional battery capacity to better handle the demands of a police department, McMahill said.

And they'll be using public charging stations according to the AP article in the OP.