The Tesla Cybertruck has invaded Europe, and European road safety organizations are alarmed by it.
More than six non-governmental organizations – including the European Road Safety Council and the International Pedestrian Union – recently signed an open letter arguing that the massive brutality committed by Elon Musk poses multiple threats to road safety in Europe. The letter was inspired by the recent decision of the Czech Republic to register a Tesla truck as a passenger vehicle, allowing it to enter the continent. According to safety organizations, the owner of the vehicle in question may have misrepresented the weight of the vehicle illegally as a way to obtain a project import certificate for the country.
Now, road safety advocates feel that the Tesla electric truck, resembling a Hummer, could cause major issues for Europeans, and that these vehicles should be banned from Europe, with extreme bias. The letter stated: “Our assessment is that the approval of Cybertrucks and their registration in the European Union poses illegal risks to all other road users.” “If this analysis is accepted, this means that the small number of electric trucks registered in the EU so far need to be deregistered, with the confirming state/member states removing them from public roads.”
Why are safety organizations so concerned about the Tesla truck? I think the reason is that it appears to be very dangerous. The letter states that “Cybertruck fails to meet a range of fundamental European road safety standards applicable to passenger cars (M1).” “As indicated below, these range from inadequate or non-existent crash-collapse areas in the Cybertruck to its sharp edges.”
One of the related concerns regarding the Cybertruck is its sharp angles, which appear designed for cyclists. Wired reported that the same driver who imported a Tesla truck to the Czech Republic attempted to circumvent local regulations regarding the angular design of the vehicle by affixing thin rubber bumpers to the four corners of the vehicle, allowing them to technically skate through regulatory inspection. The groups warn that this rubber modification could lead to “importing large quantities of electric trucks into Europe” and that the Czech Republic “risks becoming a back-channel for transporting such dangerous vehicles to other member states”.
Gizmodo reached out to Tesla for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
When it comes to avoiding harm to consumers through reasonable government regulatory rules, Europe has always been miles ahead of America. Unfortunately, safety organizations have noted that even according to greatly relaxed American safety standards, the Cybertruck may not qualify for safe riding. The letter stated: “The lack of Cybertruck’s shock absorption or insufficient absorption leads to unacceptably high risks for all other road users.” “Due to the self-certification system in the United States, Cybertruck has not been tested by any public authority. In fact, there are real doubts as to whether Cybertruck meets the lowest pedestrian safety requirements applied in the United States.”
Despite safety concerns, only one death related to a Cybertruck has been reported. A man was killed in the Houston area in August after his car collided with a waterway and caught fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the accident this summer.
