Los Angeles street takeover crackdown ends in 22 arrests and seven impounds

A weekend of street takeovers in Los Angeles County ended with 22 arrests, 74 citations and seven cars impounded for a month, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says. The gatherings were billed as Bay to LA, with participants travelling from Northern California for the illegal events.

Where deputies enforced and what drivers were charged with

Deputies ran several enforcement operations across Carson, Cerritos, Compton, Lynwood, Commerce, Lakewood and unincorporated parts of the county. The alleged offences included reckless driving, exhibition of speed, driving with a suspended licence, felony evading, felony illegal firearms possession and felony conspiracy to commit reckless driving.

A further 22 vehicles were cited and ordered to undergo state referee inspections. Those inspections can change how an owner approaches the future use of their car, since a vehicle that fails can face restrictions until it is put right.

The department did not publish a list of impounded cars, but video it posted to social media shows an SN95 Ford Mustang convertible, a Chevrolet Camaro of similar age, a Pontiac G8, at least one Chevrolet SS and a third-generation Lexus LS.

Social media posts are giving police a heads-up

The result follows an operation a week earlier in which deputies shut down two takeovers before they began, making another 22 arrests, issuing 104 citations and handing out 55 emission or exhaust violations. Authorities credited their ability to see the events advertised on social media for helping them act.

Organisers appear to have posted about the Bay to LA events online again before turning up. That matters because the pattern gives the task force a window to plan enforcement rather than react after crowds have gathered. If organisers keep advertising in advance, police have shown they will be watching and ready to close the events down.

Spectators and blockers can be cited too

California does not treat only the drivers doing donuts as participants. Occupants of a car taking part in a takeover can end up with charges too, and police can cite people who use their own vehicles to block an intersection even if they are not performing manoeuvres themselves. Spectators can also receive citations, meaning simply being at the scene can carry significant financial penalties.

For anyone who turns up to watch, the practical lesson is that attendance is not free of risk. The enforcement net covers the crowd as well as the cars in the middle of the intersection, which widens the deterrent well beyond the drivers at the centre of the action.

Fully electric cars took 32% of the UK new car market in October, outselling petrol, diesel and hybrid models to become the country's largest single fuel type, according to figures from the UK car industry lobby group New AutoMotive. A total of 49,155 new battery-electric vehicles were registered in the month, a 54% increase on October last year.

Germany saw a comparable surge, with battery-electric vehicles taking a 37% share of its car market and more than 94,000 units sold, a rise of almost 80% year on year, according to the country's road traffic agency.

Drivers 'voting with their wallets'

Ben Nelmes, CEO of New AutoMotive, framed the UK result as a consumer-driven shift. "Almost one in three new cars sold in October was fully electric, more than any other fuel type, and electric car sales are up by more than half on last year," he said. "Drivers are voting with their wallets. Every one of those new electric cars means a household spending less on running costs, and a country less exposed to the oil price shock".

Rising oil costs are the common thread running through both markets, with the German agency's figures arriving as higher fuel prices push buyers toward electric options. That matters beyond the monthly totals: a market where EVs lead outright, rather than merely gaining share, changes the calculus for fleet buyers and for manufacturers deciding where to allocate supply.

Kia, BMW, Volkswagen and BYD lead October

Kia, BMW, Volkswagen and BYD led the UK electric market in October, while Tesla's monthly performance slipped after a strong September.

Across the first ten months of the year the picture looks different. Tesla holds first place with 9.53% market share, up 25.4% on last year, followed by Kia on 6.9% and BYD on 6.8%. No European brands appear in the year-to-date top three, despite the continent being their home market.

The UK's brand mix is broader than America's, with Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, Volkswagen, Skoda and Chinese marques including BYD and Jaecoo all represented. The absence of European names from the top three suggests that model variety alone does not translate into volume leadership, and that the brands setting the UK pace are competing hardest on price and supply rather than heritage.

Used EVs gain ground too

The shift is not confined to new cars. Data reported by EV Powered shows growing numbers of UK customers shopping for used electric vehicles.

The UK figures stand in contrast with the US, where electric car sales are growing slowly despite the loss of federal tax incentives. For buyers, the UK numbers point to a market where electric models are no longer a niche choice but the default for a large share of new-car transactions.