The Tesla Cybertruck is not coming to Europe: find out why

If you are waiting for the launch of the Tesla Cybertruck, the pick-up electric vehicle from the American brand, we have to give you bad news. Although in the United States it seems that deliveries are about to begin, not without problems, in Europe it is not planned to be sold in any of its variants.

It is a blow for everyone who was waiting to buy a unit of this electric pick-up in European markets, since a great deal of expectation has built up around this vehicle, and not only in the American market. But why can this innovative vehicle not be sold on our continent? Legislation and safety and type-approval standards are the answer to this question.

Problems with type-approving the Tesla Cybertruck in Europe

It is not the first highly anticipated vehicle from the United States to run into problems of this kind. The GM Hummer EV has also faced this challenge. In the case of this model, its excessive weight is already a handicap. In Europe, holders of a B licence can only drive vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of 3,500 kg, and the Hummer exceeds that weight. A C licence is required, which is not as common in European countries.

In the case of the Cybertruck, its total weight is 3,100 kg, but its payload capacity is 1,130 kg. This means its Maximum Permitted Mass rises to 4,230 kg. And that far exceeds the maximum permitted under a B licence. To drive it safely, a C licence would be necessary, which allows driving vehicles with a Maximum Permitted Mass of 3,500 kg. In other words, lorries.

Another reason is that the protruding parts are required to have a radius of 3.2 millimetres. This is impossible on the Tesla Cybertruck, which has an aluminium body of 1.4 millimetres. And the last reason, and not the least important, concerns the lack of a market for pick-ups in Europe.

While in the United States they are very popular and used for fieldwork in many parts of the country, neither in Spain nor in the rest of Europe are they as appealing. In fact, the pick-ups sold in Europe are much smaller than those sold in the United States.

All of this means that this pick-up, which has become highly desired since it was unveiled several years ago and which has taken a long time to reach the American market, cannot be sold. Will it be big enough to sustain its presence once it manages to reach its buyers?