Americans may be surprised by the reason the Tesla Cybertruck is banned in the UK

The Tesla Cybertruck has been on US roads for more than a year, but the super-sized EV is not legal in the UK – and here’s why.

To date, alongside the US, the Cybertruck is only available in Mexico and Canada.

While Tesla vehicles are sold in the UK, and throughout Europe, the Cybertruck is not included in that lineup. 

And there are several rules and regulations that stand in the way of it landing in the UK market.

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A Tesla Cybertruck was recently removed from UK roads

Since the Tesla Cybertruck began to roll off production lines in late 2023, there have been a handful of registrations in Europe and the UK. 

Yianni Charalambous is the first man in the UK to get his hands on Cybertruck and he recently revealed the modifications required to get the car into the country. 

But that’s not to say the EV is being welcomed with open arms.

Earlier this week in Bury, Greater Manchester, a Cybertruck was confiscated by police due to ‘legitimate concerns’ in regards to the vehicle’s safety.

“The driver was a permanent UK resident but the vehicle was registered and insured abroad which is prohibited in the UK,” Bury Police said in a statement.

“The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity.

 “Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck.

“The vehicle was subsequently seized under S165 of the Road Traffic Act and the driver reported.”

Here’s why you won’t see a Cybertruck on UK roads

There are several reasons the Tesla Cybertruck is not road-legal in the UK.

Firstly, the EV’s all red indicators and brake lights don’t comply with UK regulations which require yellow indicators and red brake lights. 

The size and weight of the vehicle are another obstacle for British roads.

Weighing in at a hefty 3,500kg (7,716lbs), the Cybertruck would fall under a Category C1 vehicle – the same category as ambulances and some motorhomes – and requires a special driving license that most Brits don’t have.

To get one, drivers would need to take an additional course. 

And with Tesla not offering the Cybertruck on sale in the UK, anyone hoping to get one would be required to have it imported, which presents an additional hurdle, as only 14 of the 28 approved Individual Vehicle Approval centers are set up to import a vehicle as big as the Cybertruck.

There are also concerns about ‘protruding parts’ and the potential harm to pedestrians in case of an accident. 

This issue was highlighted by Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla Lars Marvay back in 2023. 

“European regulations demand a rounding of 3.2 millimeters on protruding parts,” he told Top Gear. 

“Unfortunately, it is impossible to make a 3.2 millimeter rounding on a 1.4 millimeter stainless steel plate.”

There has been talk of a ‘European version’ of the Cybertruck

This all means that for the Cybertruck to be introduced in the UK, and Europe as a whole, it would need to undergo a redesign.

Elon Musk has previously hinted that a Europe-friendly version could be on the cards. 

“We did design the car to North American requirements because if you start going with the superset of all international requirements, it forces a lot of constraints on Cybertruck that would make the product, frankly, worse,” he said.

“So I think we’ll need to make a special version that is, for example, a China-compliant or Europe-compliant. But it really doesn’t make sense to add that complexity until we’ve achieved a higher volume production on the Cybertruck.”

So, for any Cybertruck fans out there in Europe, watch this space.