The first Tesla Cybertruck is on sale in the UK, although drivers still don’t know whether it is LEGAL to drive on the road there.
An imported silver version of the futuristic 2024 vehicle is listed for sale on Autotrader for £145,995. This is the first version to be offered to buyers in the UK.
That means they can enjoy armored glass and faster 0-100 km/h acceleration than a McLaren or Lamborghini.
Elon Musk’s electric pickup truck may not meet UK safety regulations due to its angular design and massive weight, experts say.
The description of the truck on Autotrader reads: “Discover the future of driving with the Tesla Cybertruck. Unleash the power of innovation with the all-new Tesla Cybertruck.
“The Cybertruck is designed to exceed expectations and redefine what a truck can be, combining futuristic aesthetics with unmatched performance.
Rugged Design, Advanced Technology, Exoskeleton: The Cybertruck’s nearly impenetrable exoskeleton is made of ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel, providing ultimate durability and protection for passengers.
“Armor Glass: Tesla Armor Glass is ultra-strong and is designed to absorb and redirect impact forces for unmatched protection.
“Unparalleled performance and power: accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds with a range of up to 800 kilometers.
“Whether on a construction site or in the wilderness, the Cybertruck’s three-motor AWD delivers peak performance on and off the road.”
Under UK regulations, the front of a vehicle must be designed to protect pedestrians in the event of a collision.
This means that cars must have crumple zones, must not extend more than 3.05 metres beyond the front axle and must not be sharp or angular with protruding parts that could cause injury.
However, there are concerns that the front of the Cybertruck is too sharp to meet current regulations and that pedestrians could be crushed in a crash.
The sheer size of the pickup means the Department for Transport would classify it as a light goods vehicle (LGV), requiring owners to obtain a C1 licence.
The C1 license is for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tons. Data suggests the Cybertruck is somewhere between 3.6 and 4.5 tons.
A spokesman for car leasing company Stable Vehicle Contracts previously said Tesla was unlikely to ever launch the car in the UK, meaning motorists who wanted to own one would have to import it privately.
The Cybertruck is being sold by Leicester-based international car dealer Auto Export via the Autotrader website.
Co-owner Imran Adam, 45, said the company has about six of the vehicles in the UAE, with buyers able to have one on British soil within three weeks.
He said: “We are 70 or 80 per cent confident that we will get permission from the DVLA to put the cybertruck on the roads in this country.
“It’s just a matter of waiting for a decision now. They haven’t said ‘no’ yet, so that’s a good sign.
“I understand that Tesla is working hard behind the scenes on some adjustments to make the car suitable for use here, as the angular design may not yet meet our safety requirements at this time.
“If it is approved, we will look at another point, namely weight, and how we can work on that together with the government.
“But we don’t want to run before we can walk.
“If the government approves it, we could have the vehicles in the UK within 20 days. That’s very exciting.
“There has been a huge amount of interest in the Cybertruck from UK drivers and we have had dozens of calls about it.
“It’s an amazing piece of engineering. You don’t recognise it at all from other cars from the 20th or 21st century. A lot of people are very curious about it.”
Imran added that potential buyers can place an order now, but they will only have to pay once the cybertruck is allowed to be used here.