Stolen Tesla’s Battery Depletes During Police Chase

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A white Tesla Model S being driven by a thief stopped on its own when the battery fully depleted during a police chase in Los Angeles, California. Apparently, the criminal behind the wheel didn’t know he could pull over and recharge the battery in a supposedly quick 20 minutes.

Watch police in Arkansas take down a fleeing Tesla hard.

While we’ve only seen this a few times before, range anxiety is going to become more of a concern for criminals who use EVs as getaway cars. Since speed is everything in a chase, even stopping to refuel a regular ride can lead to a suspect’s capture.

As covered by local news station Fox 11, police didn’t know the Tesla was stolen at first. Someone called 911 to report the driver was behaving recklessly, so Los Angeles Police responded to make a traffic stop.

However, the driver had a different plan but apparently forgot to top off the battery before getting in a police chase. If you’ve ever driven a Tesla or other EV, you know the battery depletes in a hurry if you floor it, something this thief learned the hard way.

The Tesla in question belongs to Fox 11 Los Angeles news anchor Susan Hirasuna, the station reports, and was stolen while she was attending a concert. By the time she got out and went to the police station to file a report, the EV had been recovered.

However, police have held onto the car after discovering it might be connected to an assault with an ax on skid row. Reportedly, some blood was found on the front passenger door panel. Sadly, that’s not surprising since many stolen vehicles are used in the commission of other crimes.

Image via Fox 11 Los Angeles/YouTube

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