Why We Probably Will Not See Tesla Cybertrucks in the UK
The Tesla Cybertruck is an instantly recognisable piece of kit, with its almost extra-terrestrial appearance. Its pick-up truck style with harsh, pointy body lines are like nothing that has ever been designed before. Beyond its physical appearance, the Cybertruck possesses some truly unique features. It has a specially designed, ultra-hard stainless steel exoskeleton that reduces dents and damage, as well as shatter resistant armoured glass. Tesla claim it would stop a 70mph baseball or class 4 hail. On top of this, its electric powertrain delivers 362 miles of range, 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds and a towing capacity of 4,990kg.
When the Cybertruck was first announced, UK drivers who wanted a slice of this automotive history were able to place preorders with a £100 deposit. No time scales were given on the expected delivery. In fact, no news was given at all. Things just went... quiet. The US and UK have vastly different driving laws and vehicle regulations which were proving to be an issue for the Cybertruck.
So, why is it so unlikely that we will ever see a Cybertruck on the UK roads?
Weight and Licensing Issues
In the UK, vehicles over a certain weight require an additional licence on top of a car licence. These additional licenses require extra training, extra testing and, most importantly, they are not cheap. On a standard licence in the UK, drivers can drive vehicles up tp 3.5 tonnes. Unfortunately, the Tesla Cybertruck exceeds this weight limit for some models. To drive it, you would need a Category C1 license.
Safety Regulations
The UK and Europe have very strict vehicle safety regulations and tests that cars must pass for them to be road legal, for example, NCAP. The design of the Cybertruck, with its sharp, pointy edges, are unlikely to meet these strict requirements. Additionally, vehicles are also required to be safe to other road users in the event an accident. This is demonstrated through the implementation of crumple zones on cars that absorb some of the impact to protect everyone involved. The incredibly strong exo-skeleton on the Cybertruck, whilst great for the driver, could proof fatal for the driver of the other car. There have even been reports in the US of fire services being unable to cut someone out of a Cybertruck in the event of an emergency.
Additionally, the long light strip along the bonnet of the Cybertruck does not meet UK standards for vehicle lighting.
What would make it legal?
So, those are the main issues facing the Telsa Cybertruck in the UK. Of course, they can be imported but this is an incredibly long and expensive process. But what Tesla do to hit the UK market:
- Alter the exterior design - by removing some of the sharper edges, "softening" the exo-skeleton and changing the front light, it is more likely that the Cybertruck will meet the UK standards
- Reduce the vehicle weight to below 3.5 tonnes so that it can driven with a standard licence
- Create a right hand drive version
