BARCELONA—Of all of the autos you might roll as much as MWC to point out off cellular know-how, Tesla’s Cybertruck is perhaps the worst potential match. That metal trapezoid on wheels is too heavy and too angular for EU vehicle regulations, and Tesla gross sales have fallen off a cliff in Europe as CEO Elon Musk has promoted far-right political parties on the continent.
And but, a Cybertrack graces Oracle’s exhibit right here at MWC—performed up in black and white like a police automobile, with “Oracle Public Security” painted on the doorways as if it had pushed in from a cyberpunk future during which the Austin multinational agency operated its personal police division.
The truck additionally featured blinking blue-and-red LEDs atop the enormous windshield, on the step plates under the doorways, and behind a hefty brush guard on the entrance that itself would possibly violate EU pedestrian-safety rules.
It’s a advertising train for Oracle’s public-safety software and services. “We introduced it right here for extra of a showpiece,” stated Shane Ruiz, head of product advertising, as he demonstrated the options of the Oracle Public Security Dispatch Command Middle operating on the truck’s big contact display.
An incident-command display allowed fast administration of law-enforcement belongings; for instance, ordering up a drone to surveil against the law scene or dispatching a SWAT crew. In both case, the system may show reside video from the digicam on the scene. “We now have jail administration as nicely,” Ruiz stated, exhibiting how the software program may carry up data of particular person suspects.
The demo automobile featured such aftermarket additions as a Starlink antenna mounted beneath the glass roof, 5G antennas, and radar. That final one is a characteristic that Musk deleted from Teslas just a few years in the past as a part of his campaign to construct in “full self-driving” capability as cheaply as potential.
A panel in entrance of the octagonal cupholders supplied giant bodily buttons to regulate the automobile’s lights and different add-on law-enforcement {hardware}—a definite distinction to Tesla’s apply of moving basic controls to its touch screens.
Ruiz stated Oracle is seeking to improve law-enforcement officers from the ruggedized laptops they typically have in patrol autos at the moment, which in apply would imply buying and selling in these computer systems for the tablets that Oracle sells.
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“Oracle won’t promote a Tesla,” Ruiz stated. “We’re not within the automobile enterprise.”
Whereas some police departments have adopted Teslas—the Pasadena, Calif., division final 12 months switched to Model Y and Model 3 autos—the $80,000+ Cybertruck has but to see vital adoption.
A separate MWC exhibit of police know-how 5 halls away that includes Catalonia’s police department supplied its personal reminder that law-enforcement autos have to be sensible. The automobile proven off, with a drone perched on its roof for fast deployment: a Cupra four-door hatchback.
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About Rob Pegoraro
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