Due to the problems of the Cybertrack, Tesla Inc and Elon Musk have had to deal with the various negative and positive opinions. Following the NHTSA approval, UK and the European Union does not accept the distribution of the model as it jeopardizes road safety in Europe. While working at the DOGE, Tesla has been involved in several recalls. In the same vein, S&P Global Mobility stresses that Cybertruck has not performed as expected in sales. Read on to know all about it.
The headlines year for Tesla
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 recent Robotaxi pilot program starting operations in Austin, Texas, last month, the company has received both its fair share of criticism and praise. Nevertheless, this year has also seen a diversity of difficulties for the company, taking into account importing the Cybertruck across the pond into Europe.
Tesla receives its share of backlash and praise
The electrical vehicle company has long been applaud as a pioneer of electrical vehicle technology, advancing battery engine capabilities, and catapulting the automobile world into a future which is plan to see the electrical engine play a important role in pushing the transportation industry towards carbon neutrality. Even so, this year was a agitated year for the company, in specific with regard to Musk’s role in DOGE.
After 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 introduced DOGE as an external advisory body for an 18-month contract to aid make suggestions regarding how the federal government can cut down on not neccesary spending. To head the operation, Musk was brought in. Neverhteless, stock prices of Tesla fell drastically 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 put in first place his company, which is facing its own difficulties, 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 presented into the domestic market one and a half years ago, Tesla has had complication to get the vehicle into the European market because of isssues related to the vehicle’s adherence to safety regulations outside of the US. By the time the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the vehicle a five-star rating, other European countries are not as sure about it.
As an example, in the United Kingdom (UK), Cybertuck is actually forbidden for consumer sale. This is because of the five fundamental flaws in the Cybertruck’s design, according to safety authorities. The five design flaws that the vehicle needs 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 problems
- The problem regarding the vehicle’s torque and mass
All five of these issues have take part of the Cybertruck vision as a safety preocupation on UK roads for both driver and other road users, meaning that the vehicle is not set to hit the British market anytime soon, by the time these design features are being holding on, nor is the vehicle legal in any other European country.
Cybertrucks receive mass recalls
On top of the issue with Tesla getting the Cybertruck to get into the European market, on home soil, the vehicles have been subject to eight vehicle recalls since their presentation to the public. The most recent recall saw 46,000 Cybertruck owners got notice from the NHTSA regarding the exterior panel on the left and right side of the windshield detaching at the same time they was driving.
Cybertruck sales also seem to be not going well, 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 outperform by Musk’s original statement that 250,000 units were awaited to be sold this year.