This year has been a year of headlines for electrical vehicle manufacturer Tesla. From their infamous Cybertrucks, CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the federal government with the Department of Government Efficiency, to their new Robotaxi pilot program beginning operations in Austin, Texas, last month, the company has received both its fair share of criticism and praise. However, this year has also seen a variety of challenges for the company, including importing the Cybertruck across the pond into Europe.
Tesla receives its share of backlash and praise
The electrical vehicle company has long been hailed as a pioneer of electrical vehicle technology, advancing battery engine capabilities, and catapulting the automobile world into a future which is set to see the electrical engine play a critical role in pushing the transportation industry towards carbon neutrality. However, this year was a tumultuous year for the company, particularly with regard to Musk’s role in DOGE.
Following the election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States, where the Trump Administration will be serving for a second, non-consecutive term, the Administration brought in DOGE as an external advisory body for an 18-month contract to help make suggestions regarding how the federal government can cut down on unnecessary spending. To head the operation, Musk was brought in. However, stock prices of Tesla fell dramatically following the decision, with DOGE axing funding for initiatives like USAID as well as cutting thousands of federal jobs.
Musk has since stepped away from DOGE and is back to prioritizing his company, which is facing its own challenges, one of which is regarding the much-anticipated Cybertruck, which was released for commercialization at the end of 2023.
Cybertruck is banned in Europe for this reason
Since the Cybertruck’s release into the domestic market one and a half years ago, Tesla has struggled to get the vehicle into the European market due to problems surrounding the vehicle’s adherence to safety regulations outside of the US. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the vehicle a five-star rating, other European countries are not as convinced.
For example, in the United Kingdom (UK), Cybertuck is actually banned for consumer sale. This is due to five fundamental flaws in the Cybertruck’s design, according to safety authorities. The five design flaws that the vehicle lacks are as follows:
- The vehicle’s size and weight
- Sharp edges of the vehicle
- The rigidity of the vehicle in the event of a collision
- The vehicle’s light bar is causing visibility issues
- The problem regarding the vehicle’s torque and mass
All five of these problems have contributed to the Cybertruck being viewed as a safety concern on UK roads for both driver and other road users, meaning that the vehicle is not set to hit the British market anytime soon, while these design characteristics persist, nor is the vehicle legal in any other European country.
Cybertrucks receive mass recalls
On top of the problem with Tesla getting the Cybertruck to penetrate the European market, on home soil, the vehicles have been subject to eight vehicle recalls since their release to the public. The most recent recall saw 46,000 Cybertruck owners receive notice from the NHTSA regarding the exterior panel on the left and right side of the windshield detaching while driving.
The numerous vehicle recalls coupled with international market safety issues as meant that the Cybertruck has seen a rough start. Further, Cybertruck sales also seem to be falling, with the first quarter of this year seeing just over 7,000 vehicles be sold according to registration data from S&P Global Mobility, a trend which, if continued throughout the year, would see the vehicle sales massively underperform by Musk’s original statement that 250,000 units were expected to be sold this year.
