Just because UK residents are allowed to purchase an imported Cybertruck doesn’t mean they can drive it on public roads. Choosing to take the risk opens them up to a police stop. Case in point, as spotted on Bluesky by Adam Tranter: Authorities stopped the driver of one of Tesla’s “Cyberbeast” limited editions in the Greater Manchester area on Wednesday evening local time—then promptly seized it.
“Officers from #GMPTransportUnit stopped this Tesla Cybertruck in #Whitefield last night,” the official Greater Manchester Police Bury Division posted to Facebook on January 16th.
Authorities explained that while the driver was a permanent UK resident, their vehicle was registered and insured abroad. From there, cops confiscated the nearly $100,000 EV and told the alleged violator that they must provide proof of ownership and proper insurance before they can reclaim it.
The Cybertruck may worry some critics and regulators in the US, but it’s still perfectly legal to cruise through the country in one of the over-18-foot-long, 6,800 lbs stainless steel EVs. The luxury ride that’s popular with both Chechen warlords and local law enforcement, however, still lacks the UK’s required “certificate of conformity” ensuring it meets the country’s safety standards. And unless Tesla applies for one, Cybertrucks remain banned from British streets for the conceivable future.
“The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity,” the police explained. “Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck.”
Tesla’s entire line of EVs have received numerous recalls over the years from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), ranging from software glitches, to camera issues, to safety worries related to the company’s Full Self-Driving Mode. In October 2024, Tesla released a Cybertruck over-the-air software update to fix a camera system that regulators deemed illegally slow. The NHTSA issued another recall notice earlier in the year for nearly every Cybertruck over a potentially faulty accelerator pedal. According to the announcement at the time, the problem stemmed from makers accidentally using soap instead of lubricant on many brake pads.
“We are just being very cautious,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the time regarding his “favorite car.”
