Cops Are Now Towing Teslas For Evidence In Crime Scenes

Good morning! It’s Tuesday September 3, 2024, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know.

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1st Gear: Teslas In Sentry Mode Towed For Evidence

If you’re the proud owner of a Tesla, you might think the biggest thing you have to worry about with your car is either the battery going flat, body panels falling off or, god forbid, water sparking a fire onboard. Now, it turns out there’s a new concern for America’s Tesla owners: cops towing their cars as evidence in crime scenes.

Tesla owners in California have reportedly had their vehicles towed from crime scenes by police, reports CarScoops. Law enforcement have been towing vehicles from crime scenes that were placed in Sentry Mode, which sets the cars’ onboard cameras to turn on and capture everything that goes on outside the vehicle. As CarScoops explains:

While the EVs – and their owners – are usually unrelated to the incidents, video footage from the scene can be quite important for the case. The police usually asks for the owner’s permission to access their Tesla’s Sentry Mode backup USB drive which is located in the glove box, and download the desired content. However, if the owners can’t be located, officers obtain search warrants and tow the EVs into evidence.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Oakland police sought to tow at least three Teslas in July and August, showing that this is now part of their established tactics.

A recent example took place at a hotel parking lot near the Oakland airport on July 1. A man was found in an RV with stab and gunshot wounds that eventually led to his death at a nearby hospital. As part of the homicide case, the police located a Tesla which was parked opposite the RV. The owner of the Tesla was a Canadian tourist, who reportedly arrived at the scene during the towing process. The man permitted officers to download the footage without taking away the car, sparing him a visit to the police station.

In another instance, the Tesla towed was actually the crime scene itself after a man was found on the back seat with a gunshot wound. Police towed the car in order to access Sentry Mode footage of the shooting, however so far no arrests have been made in relation to the incident.

Sentry Mode is activated on Teslas when the car senses any noise or movement nearby. When that happens, cameras turn on and start recording everything going on around the cars. In order to access the footage captured by each car, police don’t have to gain permission from Tesla itself, instead requesting approval from owners or by obtaining a warrant.

2nd Gear: BMW Recalls Its Mini EV

Another day, another recall. After Ford issued a recall impacting more than 90,000 trucks and SUVs across America, BMW just sent out a recall notice for a much smaller car: the all-electric Mini EV.

More than 140,000 Mini EVs are being recalled over battery issues that could lead to overheating in the electric car, reports the Wall Street Journal. The recall notice impacts the electric Mini Cooper SE, with the WSJ warning that the overheating could lead to a fire risk in some cars. As the site explains:

The German carmaker said Tuesday that the recall of electric Mini Cooper SEs came after tests that revealed the potential for leaks from the battery housing.

“The high-voltage battery could also switch off and the vehicle could roll out slowly, even while driving,” BMW said. “A vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked, cannot be ruled out.”

BMW is updating the model’s software to protect against fires. Customers who receive a letter or error message should take the car to Mini service centers for a free repair, the company said.

So far, BMW has not reported any injuries as a result of the battery issues it uncovered with the electric mini. There are also so far no reports of vehicle fires linked to the recall.

If you are worried that your car might be affected by a recall, there are a few easy ways to check if it’s the case. First up, the NHTSA has a super handy app that you can use to see if your vehicle is impacted by a recall, or you can head to the regulator’s website and plug your VIN into its recall search tool.

3rd Gear: Hybrid Sales Are Booming Right Now

If there’s one thing hotter than the battery pack in a Mini EV then it’s hybrid sales. Plug-in models are booming right now as sales of hybrid cars around the world jump a staggering 58 percent compared with the same period last year, reports CleanTechnica.

Plug-in hybrid cars are growing at a staggering rate and have far outpaced the growth of full-electric car sales so far this year, reports CleanTechnica. As the site explains:

Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 22% in July 2024 compared to July 2023. There were 1.3 million registrations. BEVs were up by just 5% YoY, but plugin hybrids jumped 58% YoY, selling over 540,000 units, which is the second record month in a row for this technology. Also, that 58% growth rate is the highest since January.

As such, it is clear that the rise of PHEVs/EREVs in China is disrupting the overall local market, and with it, the global EV market, making it impossible to ignore this new trend and bury one’s head in the sand. Plugin hybrid technology sells, even without the help of subsidies.

Sales of cars with a plug, which includes PHEVs and BEVs, accounted for 20 percent of all cars sold in July, with fully-electric models making up more than half of that share. However, their share of sales is dropping, with BEVs making up 70 percent of plug-in cars sold last year and now accounting for just 59 percent.

The drop in share of BEVs comes as automakers around the world renew their focus on hybrid cars. Ford backtracked on EV plans just last month, suggesting that it could look to more varied powertrain options in the future and other automakers are investing more in hybrid options.

4th Gear: VW Considers Shutting Historic German Plant

The realities of staying competitive in today’s car world are hitting home at Volkswagen, which is reportedly considering shuttering a historic plant in Europe amid cost-cutting measures. The German automaker is reportedly considering closing one production site and another that produces components for its cars, reports Reuters.

Volkswagen has carried out a review of its facilities in Europe and found that sites in Osnabrueck, in Lower Saxony, and Dresden, in Saxony, could be “potential targets for closure,” according to Reuters. The company is considering shutting the sites in order to cut costs and remain competitive against Chinese automakers. As Reuters explains:

VW considers one large vehicle plant and one component factory in Germany to be obsolete, said its works council as it vowed “fierce resistance” to the executive board’s plans.

Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz will speak to staff alongside Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer at a works council meeting on Wednesday morning.

Volkswagen’s works council head Daniela Cavallo, a member of the powerful IG Metall union, said she expects CEO [Oliver] Blume to get involved in negotiations too, adding that Wednesday’s meeting would be “very uncomfortable” for the group’s management.

As well as closing sites, the German company is also reportedly considering ending a job security program that has been in place since 1994. The program protects VW’s 680,000 staff from job cuts until 2029, however if it’s brought to an end cuts could come much sooner.

The layoffs would follow similar measures made by American automakers looking to cut costs. Earlier this year, Tesla slashed its headcount across America and Ford cut staffing on its EV production lines.

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