Tesla has received over 250,000 refundable pre-orders for its Cybertruck, the love-it-or-hate-it electric pickup it unveiled on November 21. At least one of the $100 deposits comes from Dubai’s police department, which plans to add the model to its fleet.
The Dubai police force posted a Photoshopped image of the Cybertruck wearing full patrol car regalia on its official Twitter account. While the photo was offered without comment, a spokesperson for the department confirmed it has purchased at least one example that it plans to transform into a patrol car as soon as it takes delivery.
Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, the commander-in-chief of Dubai’s police force, told website Arabian Business that the Cybertruck will be used to patrol areas that draw the most tourists. His comments suggest it will be more of a one-off tourist attraction than anything else, so don’t expect to see dozens of Cybertrucks roaming the emirate.
شرطة دبي – 2020 – Dubai Police #CyberTruck pic.twitter.com/V9rMPLgjS4
— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) November 26, 2019
There’s no word on which Cybertruck version Dubai’s police force has chosen. Tesla offers three variants that range from an entry-level, rear-wheel drive model with up to 250 miles of range, to a flagship model that offers all-wheel drive and a 500-mile range. Pricing starts at $39,000 and tops out at $69,000, with the midrange model priced at $49,000. We don’t know when the police department will take delivery of its pickup, but it might need to wait a while depending on where it is in the queue of 250,000 aspiring owners.
Dubai hasn’t shed light on why it chose to add a Cybertruck to its collection, but its police force has a long track record of putting wild, unusual, and head-turning cars in the hands of its law enforcement officials. While your town’s fleet of police cars might consist of Ford Explorers and a few leftover Crown Victorias, Dubai’s includes a Bugatti Veyron, a limited-edition Aston Martin One-77, a Lamborghini Aventador, and a Bentley Continental GT. You might also spot a Mercedes-Benz G-Class and a BMW i8, or the Bentley Bentayga that sometimes does the rounds.
Dubai police officers use more down-to-earth cars when they need to venture outside of the tourist circuit. The Toyota Land Cruiser is popular as a patrol car, as is the BMW 5 Series.
