Tesla Cybertruck Faces Off with UK Road Laws
Picture this: a massive, futuristic Tesla Cybertruck rolling through the streets of Manchester, easily turning heads, but quickly stopping in its tracks. That’s exactly how things unfolded for Alban, the owner who imported a Tesla Cybertruck registered abroad, only to have it seized by police just a few months later. The hype around the Cybertruck might be big, but so are the hurdles if you want it on British roads.
This all started in February 2025 when Greater Manchester Police pulled over the Cybertruck during a routine stop in Whitefield. The officers noticed right away that the truck’s documentation didn't add up—insured and registered outside the UK, which set off alarm bells. But paperwork problems were just the beginning. They dug deeper and found the real deal-breakers hidden in the truck’s specs.
First up: the Cybertruck lacked a certificate of conformity. In the UK, that’s a golden ticket proving your car plays by the same safety rules as everyone else’s. Without it, you can forget about getting legal plates or insurance. Then there’s Tesla’s steer-by-wire system—a techy feature, but it hasn’t gotten the green light from UK safety inspectors. The system just doesn’t meet the standards here, and that alone makes it a no-go on public roads.
But it’s not just about fancy steering. There are real-world worries behind these regulations. British authorities flagged the Cybertruck as dangerous for pedestrians, mostly due to its sharp, armored look and how weight is distributed on its frame. Even after Alban tried to play by the rules—a few tweaks, including fitting rubber edges—the upgrades fell short. The vehicle’s core design simply doesn’t square with what European crash and pedestrian safety standards want.
The result? After two months, police returned the Cybertruck… with a big catch. Alban can keep it, park it, and probably show it off to friends, but if he so much as drives it down the block, he’s breaking the law. As the police bluntly put it, the truck "must never touch public roads in the UK." That’s about as clear as it gets.

Importing U.S. Cars—More Trouble Than You’d Think
This isn’t just a one-off headache for one Tesla fan. Yianni Charalambous, who runs the Yiannimize car-mod channel on YouTube, showed off the whole scenario to his followers, showing how tough it is to get American vehicles street-legal in Britain. Tuning a car is one thing, but changing fundamental safety systems or a vehicle’s silhouette? That’s a whole other story—one automakers like Tesla are still wrestling with.
It’s not just the UK, either. EU nations have similar, strict requirements. Cars must pass tough pedestrian safety rules, have type-approval certificates, and undergo crash tests European-style, which is totally different from the process in the U.S. Even if you drop big money on import fees and mods, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever drive a Cybertruck on the roads here.
The rulebook's clear: non-compliant imports can be seized, and even if you get them back, they might be reduced to little more than a showpiece. That’s the reality for Alban’s Cybertruck. It’s a star attraction—if you don’t count the fact that it can never actually drive where anyone can see it.