Tesla Cybertruck Will Not Enter The Chinese Market, This Is The Reason

JAKARTA Not long ago, rumors circulated that Tesla would bring its electric pickup, Cybertruck, to the Chinese market, the country with the largest electric vehicle (EV) market in the world. However, Tesla eventually spoke up and made sure that the Cybertruck would not be sold in the country, as reported by local media Jiemian.

They have no plans to sell the model (Cyberttruck) in the world's largest electric vehicle market (China), "wrote Jiemian, citing Tesla's statement in a report published on Tuesday, December 3, as reported by the CNevpost page.

This is reinforced by the absence of a Cybertruck in the list of available vehicles to order on Tesla's official Chinese website. On the other hand, there are only other models such as Model Y, Model 3, Model S, and Model X.

The Cybertruck was first introduced by Tesla in November 2019, and its first shipment began in the United States on November 30, 2023. Even so, China does not appear to be included in the Cybertruck market map. Previously, Tesla had brought the Cybertruck to China, but only for introduction, not for sale.

In fact, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admits the huge challenge of bringing the Cybertruck to the Chinese highway. "Legalizing the Cybertruck on highways in China will be very difficult. However, we can send several prototypes to display," Musk said on January 14 via social media platform X.

Musk did not explain in detail the legal obstacles faced. However, strict rules against pickups in China are one of the main barriers. In the country, pickup is categorized as a light truck subject to various restrictions, including:

According to a Jiemian report, if Tesla wants to market the Cybertruck in China, the company must make massive modifications to the vehicle to meet local safety and regulatory standards. This certainly requires a big cost, while the potential for sales is predicted to remain limited.

Cybertruck, which performs futuristically with its box designs, does face unique challenges in the international market. Outside the United States, this electric pickup must adapt to different rules and market expectations. For now, the Chinese market does not appear Tesla's priority goal for Cybertruck.