“The Cybertruck's weight, rigid structure and sharp design have raised legitimate concerns,” she tells WIRED. “Any loophole that allows these vehicles [UK] “The roads need to be closed quickly.”
“It would be extremely disappointing if the backdoor were to be opened which allows vehicles that increase the risk of harm onto UK roads and streets,” agreed Margaret Winchcombe, deputy executive director of PACTS, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, an expert body. Are. For over 100 UK transport organisations.
She adds, “Allowing vehicles where the safety of others is an afterthought would be a huge step forward.”
Although Tesla has made bold safety claims about the Cybertruck and released its own crash-test-dummy footage, no independent body has crash-tested the vehicle. US regulators rely on auto manufacturers to test and certify their own adherence to safety standards.
Federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and insurance industry supported Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts crash tests only on certain vehicles. The expense of testing all vehicles is too high for these organizations, so options are chosen based on sales volume.
“Whereas [the Cybertruck] “It's generated so much buzz, it's unlikely we'll invest the resources to test it unless it's selling in numbers comparable to other popular large pickups,” says Joe Young, IIHS media director. yes.''
“Without testing the Cybertruck, I can't comment on the effectiveness of its crumple zone,” he stressed. “Right now, our concerns with its design are limited to the issues we have raised with other EVs. It's too heavy, and it's too fast.”
Due to the Cybertruck's “unusual design”, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) told WIRED it would “not wish to predict” whether the pickup will get a DfT-administered IVA pass.
“The IVA scheme was designed for [small- and medium-sized businesses] “Involved in specialist vehicle conversions or imports,” the statement to WIRED said, “and was created long before the Cybertruck was conceived.”
Judging from the DfT's carefully calibrated comments, Charalambous may be wasting his time and money trying to pass the IVA test. “The vehicle contains advanced technology that may not be designed to meet the regulations that apply in the UK,” the DfT statement warned.
In his video, Charalambous drives through south-east England in his Albanian-plated Cybertruck. If an informed police officer caught him doing so, Charalambous could be fined. “No UK resident can drive a vehicle with a foreign number plate in the UK,” the DfT statement confirmed. [an annual safety check and a] IVA already booked [appointment],
In his third video, Charalambous said that he was legally allowed to drive his Cybertruck in the UK because the Albanian seller provided him with a Green Card, an international certificate of insurance issued in Albania. Again, the DfT says this is a no-no: “Driving an unregistered vehicle will invalidate any insurance.”
Only time – and a lot of money – will determine whether Charalambous succeeds in legalizing its UK-based Cybertruck, but the odds are against the odds.