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Why Is the Tesla Cybertruck Going to Germany if You Can't Buy One There?

The Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in Germany 8 photos
Photo: Tesla
The Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in GermanyThe Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in GermanyThe Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in GermanyThe Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in GermanyThe Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in GermanyThe Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in GermanyThe Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in Germany
The Tesla Cybertruck is going to Europe, even though it might not even be homologated for the European market. The model will reportedly be displayed in Stuttgart this upcoming spring.
The Cybertruck has been touring China, being on display in eight major cities, even though the regulations in the country will not allow it to go on sale there. Elon Musk himself explained that it would be "very hard to make it legal."

Following the successful tour in China, Tesla has reportedly decided to take the electric pickup truck to Germany as well, in an attempt to spark interest in European customers. According to a post on former Twitter/current X, the model will be on display at the Stuttgart Holzgerlingen delivery center, the carmaker's largest delivery center in Europe.

The date of the arrival has not been set yet. Another location considered was supposedly the Giga Berlin, the factory that has been operating since April 2022.

It wouldn't come as a surprise if the Cybertruck went on tour in several European cities, considering that a Tesla was last year's bestseller on the Old Continent. 209,503 customers purchased a Model Y in 2023.

The Tesla Cybertruck is reportedly going to Europe to be displayed in Germany
Photo: Tesla
The Tesla Cybertruck does not comply with the regulations in China and Europe. The first version rolled out at the Giga Texas, the Foundation Series, is set in motion by a tri-motor powertrain churning out 845 horsepower (857 metric horsepower) and 10,296 pound-feet (13,960 Newton meters) of torque.

This version is capable of flashing from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, can run the quarter mile in little under 11 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 130 mph (210 kph). There is also a large, heavy lithium-ion battery pack, with a capacity of 123 kWh, which adds to the gross weight.

With all the supercar credentials, the model tips the scale at 6,843 pounds (3,104 kilograms) and goes over 3,500 kilograms when loaded. That makes the vehicle too heavy to be driven with a passenger car driving license.

Furthermore, the vehicle is labeled as dangerous to pedestrians, considering its angular shape that defies the safety standards, an issue recently highlighted by Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy.

He explained that the European regulations require a rounding of 3.2 millimeters on protruding parts. "Unfortunately, it is impossible to make a rounding of 3.2 millimeters on a 1.4-millimeter sheet of stainless steel," he said in December 2023.

To make it profitable in China, Tesla should manufacture the Cybertruck in China or at least assemble it locally. The Giga Shanghai plant currently builds Model 3s and Model Ys and would need a completely different production line for the electric pickup truck.

Until they sort it out, Tesla stopped taking orders from both Europe and China back in May 2022, so customers in these regions should not get their hopes up and settle for just seeing the Cybertruck displayed. Tesla is showing the EV even where it can sell it in order to build up hype and draw in potential customers in case regulations change.

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