While there could be several reasons for such incidents, the one mentioned in this case will surely surprise you
In a rather shocking turn of events, a Tesla Cybertruck was deemed illegal by the UK Police for plying on British roads. Now, the Cybertruck is arguably the most readily recognized vehicle on the planet. With its futuristic boxy silhouette and supposedly bulletproof body, the $100,000 electric pickup truck has been on the bucket list of many influential personalities across the globe. Unfortunately, Tesla doesn’t sell it in a lot of countries just yet. Hence, buyers have to resort to importing it, mainly from the U.S.
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UK Police Seizes Illegal Tesla Cybertruck
As per a British online news site, Independent, a man imported the Tesla Cybertruck into England for personal use. In fact, the electric pickup truck was traversing across the streets of northwest England when the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) observed it. They pulled it over immediately due to one obvious reason – the EV has not been approved for road use in the UK yet.
To ply on the roads of any nation, the manufacturer often needs a certificate which is obtained after homologation. However, that process hasn’t happened yet for the Tesla Cybertruck in the UK. Therefore, technically, it is illegal to drive it in the country. The GMP Transport Unit took to their social media handles to inform, “The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity (COC).” Consequently, Operation Wolverine, GMP’s specialized task force for vehicle seizures, took the EV under their custody.
Now, while the owner can get it back by providing proof of ownership and correct insurance documents, he is likely to have this issue repeatedly. Corroborating this point, a GMP spokesperson said, “he will likely struggle with that. Unfortunately, we can’t say what will happen to the vehicle until that has happened.”
At the moment, people can drive it in the U.S., Mexico and Canada since the rules pertaining to homologation are somewhat similar there. In fact, that has been the case in these three nations for a while now. But to import it into Europe with different regulations is a completely different case altogether. Understandably, this is done to protect the users and pedestrians during a collision.
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Learn Electric Cars Says
In this case, it looks clear that the Police are in the right. They have every right to seize the vehicle which has not been allowed to ply on the British roads. However, it is quite unfortunate for the owner who might not have thought about this aspect prior to importing it. Alternatively, it is also possible that he might want to use it in the UK temporarily and eventually move out. In any case, it is evident that he will struggle to use it in England.