Tesla, through its Chinese arm, has finally started the Cybertruck’s nationwide tour just more than a week after announcing that the all-electric pickup will make its appearance in the country.
Tesla’s recently released poster stated that interested attendees can submit the cities in which they want to see the Cybertruck until March 31, 2024. However, how long Tesla will exhibit the electric pickup in the country remains vague.
Cybertruck’s arrival
According to recent reports from China, Tesla would simultaneously bring the Cybertruck to various cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xi’an, and Chongqing.
Tesla Asia’s X post on Sunday indicated four images of the electric pickup in some of the above-mentioned cities (Chongqing, Xi’an, Shanghai, and Shenzhen), declaring the program’s commencement in the Chinese auto market.
Locals’ response
Tesla owner @ray4tesla shared video footage of the Cybertruck’s tour at the Shenzhen China Resources Center Vientiane Plaza on Saturday.
The video, taken on Saturday, showed the long line of Tesla and electric vehicle fans waiting to see the all-new pickup. As you can see in the video below, a huge crowd swamped the area to have a chance to go near the Cybertruck.
Would Tesla sell the Cybertruck in China?
Despite the arrival of the Cybertruck in China, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk emphasized that the units were only for display.
The Tesla boss also explained in an X response the challenge of launching the Cybertruck in China, saying that it would be “very difficult” to legalize the electric pickup there.
Tesla has yet to specify the reason why the automaker will struggle to bring the Cybertruck into the world’s largest auto market. However, some reports suggest that some potential reasons include stringent pedestrian safety standards and the pickup’s overall size.
Another X user further explained that the Chinese regulators categorize pickup trucks as cargo trucks with strict “restrictions on freight trucks entering the city.”
Tesla attempted to market the Cybertruck as an off-road touring vehicle to downplay its electric pickup character. In China, pickups struggle with policy restrictions, including driving in the rightmost slow lane without exceeding 100 km/h. They must also adhere to a 15-year life cycle cap, requiring the vehicles to retire at the end of that period.
