Manchester Police Seize Illegal-In-UK Tesla Cybertruck

The Tesla Cybertruck is definitely one of the vehicles ever made. That’s about as much as we’re prepared to say about it to stop this article from turning into several thousand words of aimless ranting.

However, one of the things it isn’t is legal to drive in the UK. See, unlike the Land of the Free™, the nanny state we live in is concerned with such trivial things as pedestrian safety, the Cybertruck’s angular lines failing to meet regulations in this area.

Still, for some, the apparent allure of this Muskian fantasy is so great that they’re prepared to stick it to The Man and skirt around the wrong side of the law, all so they can drive around Greater Manchester in a car that looks like a piece of cheese, but from the future.

One driver has found out the hard way that this is in fact illegal, as they’ve had a Cybertruck that they were illegally driving seized by Greater Manchester Police.

The truck, which has had a matte black wrap applied over its stainless steel bodywork along with some, ahem, highly tasteful Cybertruck decals, appears to be on Albanian plates. How long it’s been in use in Britain isn’t clear, but a Facebook post from the Bury branch of the GMP confirms that it's registered and insured abroad, meaning it's illegal for a permanent resident of the UK – which the driver is – to use it here.

The post added that while the truck’s lack of road legality in the UK “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.”

A further statement provided to Car Throttle by the GMP confirms that the case has been referred to Operation Wolverine, the force’s specialised car seizure team. To get their truck back, the driver will have to prove ownership and correct insurance, something which GMP noted they will “likely struggle with.” The police are unable to confirm the fate of the Cybertruck until that happens.

If you’re in the UK, and you really want to drive around in something made of stainless steel and designed entirely with a ruler and protractor, our advice is to just buy a DeLorean. They’re cheaper, nicer, and won’t get seized by the police. Unless you try to do 88mph.