Tesla technician explains why the Cybertruck is not coming to the Netherlands

Were you one of those people who paid $100 upfront to buy a Cybertruck all those years ago? If you liked it then and can afford the price difference, you will still love it now. Tesla has done something miraculous – albeit much later than expected – and put the 2019 sci-fi pickup concept into production in virtually unchanged form.

But then the bad news: if you live in the Netherlands, Belgium or anywhere outside of America, we would call Elon and ask for our money back. Pedestrian safety, with that enormous unyielding front, is a whopper of a ‘no’ in terms of exports for now. And there are still some problems, as Lars Maravy explains. He is the Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla.

Impossible shapes for Europe

Lars sees two other problems. ‘First of all, the market for pick-ups in America is huge, and that is different with you. And two: 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 told Top Gear.

So it is quite unlikely that we will ever see a Cybertruck stuck on an Amsterdam canal. But should we want that? To be honest: it is a size or two too big for here, although you can probably find a few here and there through gray import (and individual type approval). After all, the Ford F-150 Lightning also drives around here sparingly.

Europe was never the target for the Cybertruck

It was never the intention to flood the world with Cybertrucks – that’s what the white goods Model 3, Y and cheaper future models are already for. The true achievement here lies in the simple fact that stubborn engineers managed to push through this device through sheer willpower, stubbornness and an almost infinite development budget.

In any case, Tesla confirms here what we suspected much earlier. Are you stubborn enough to bring one here and want to score a license plate? “For this purpose, a vehicle must be physically presented,” says the RDW. Only in the Netherlands will the authority determine whether the Cybertruck is allowed to have a license plate. There is a chance that you will have to adjust things yourself to ensure that the car meets the requirements.