Almost four years after the prototype was revealed, the Tesla Cybertruck has finally hit the roads in two versions, with two or three electric motors and all-wheel drive. But the futuristic pickup truck from Elon Musk’s brand, one of the most anticipated releases of the year and probably the one that continues to generate the most buzz, may never reach Europe. And it won’t be for lack of interest, since long before its launch, the Cybertruck was already a global phenomenon.
It turns out that, unlike what happens on the other side of the Atlantic, the imposing nature of Tesla’s electric pickup truck works as a handicap. This is affirmed by Tesla Motors’ Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, in an interview with TopGear Netherlands, where he stated that “European regulations require vehicles to have corners with rounded edges of at least 3.2 millimeters in the most protruding areas.” Now, according to Moravy, “it is impossible to achieve a rounding of 3.2 millimeters on a 1.4 millimeter stainless steel sheet.” And therefore, the new Tesla could not meet safety criteria in the Old Continent.
Another constraint is the substantial weight. In the top version, Cybertruck Cyberbeast, the gross weight exceeds 4.2 tons (corresponding to 3103 kg of the vehicle, plus 1133 kg of maximum load allowed), already falling into the category of heavy vehicle.
Therefore, even though the Tesla website in Portugal allows for Cybertruck configuration, its commercialization in Portuguese lands is unlikely.
