What next, cattle transport? Mexican mayor mocked online for wanting Tesla pickups as GARBAGE, WATER trucks & police cars
by RT
What next, cattle transport? Mexican mayor mocked online for wanting Tesla pickups as GARBAGE, WATER trucks & police cars
The top official of a Mexican city has suggested that the futuristic Tesla Cybertruck would be awesome to patrol streets and to take out the trash, unleashing a wave of mockery online.
Last week, the internet had a field day poking fun at Elon Musk’s most-recent creation – the electric-powered Tesla Cybertruck. Nevertheless, Adrian Esper Cardenas, who heads up the city of Ciudad Velles in Mexico’s central San Luis Potosi state, believes the trendy pickup trucks would be rather useful in municipal services.
The mayor said he has pre-ordered 15 vehicles, making a deposit of $1,500 of his own money, equivalent to his monthly salary. Instead of driving around environmentally-conscious hipsters, the cars would be transformed into water trucks and garbage trucks. “They’ll have three times the loads of a normal truck,” the mayor said.
Cardenas also suggested that Musk’s futurist-designed electric cars could serve as police patrol vehicles – presumably to roam the streets of Ciudad Valles, watching for drug cartels and other violent gangs. At a press conference, the mayor even revealed what a law enforcement version of a Cybertruck would look like, equipped with roof lights and police markings.
El alcalde de #CdValles Adrián Esper Cárdenas anunció este día que inició con la solicitud de compra de 15 unidades Cybertrucks eléctricas marca #Tesla que serán destinadas para la Policía Municipal, Obras Públicas y la DAPAS. Estarán llegando al Municipio en el año 2021. pic.twitter.com/QoRZoTCDdI
The official told reporters that using the trucks would save the city around 24 million pesos ($1.2 million) a year.
“We took a photo [of the pre-orders]. I will send it to Elon Musk to see if he makes us a discount.”
The idea, however, triggered widespread mockery on Mexican social media, with many baffled by the prospect of seeing Tesla cars performing public services. “I thought it was fake [news],” one user wrote.
Others jokingly suggested that slick Cybertruck models could be used for other mundane activities, such as transporting cattle.
@elonmusk Tesla Cybertruck 2.0 version Mexico algunas ideas de mexicanos ahora que su municipio comprara algunas, dicen que el Alcalde de Ciudad Valles Adrian Esper le solicitará tambien los siguientes modelos que los va a ir apartando de una vez ?????? pic.twitter.com/pKJAnSezxA
Some began with an ironic anticipation that the Tesla-driving police force will be the first step in transforming Ciudad Velles into a futuristic mega-city.
Commenters also blasted the mayor for blowing money on Teslas instead of focusing on more pressing local issues. “Many schools are closed, there is a lot of poverty – these are the issues they should be investing in,” one person complained. Another user said that even if the mayor delivers the Tesla trucks, they will not get far, because of the city’s potholes.
