No Cybertruck for you, comrade.
To Russia With Love
Tesla-obsessed vigilantes reportedly attempted to smuggle two Tesla Cybertrucks into Russia — but got caught well before they could get there.
As Electrek reports, the pair of oddball pickup trucks were seized by Lithuanian customs while trying to cross the Belarus border. Lithuanian customs agents believe they were on their way to be smuggled into Russia and were worth an estimated $215,000.
European authorities have already been catching plenty of other vehicles worth upwards of $54,000 being shipped out to Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, according to Electrek, many of which actually made it into Russia.
EU sanctions, which date back to 2014, forbid vehicles to be shipped into Russia. In light of the invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission has also urged other member states to prohibit any vehicles with Russian plates from entering the EU.
The bust is especially noteworthy considering the Cybertruck is only available in North America right now — and experts don’t expect it to ever be approved in the EU or elsewhere.
Nonetheless, the fact that somebody would go as far as to smuggle one into Russia highlights the divisive truck’s persistent desirability, despite plenty of glaring shortcomings and a hefty price tag.
Cyber Contraband
There are a number of reasons why the Cybertruck likely won’t make it across the pond. As some have posited, it’s simply too heavy at 6,600 pounds to be registered as a customer vehicle. Then there’s an already lukewarm European appetite for oversized pickup trucks, which struggle to navigate narrow city centers.
There are also just not very many in circulation.
According to a recent recall by federal regulators that affected every single Cybertruck on the road, the Elon Musk-led company had sold a delivered a mere 4,000 trucks since it was finally released last year.
In other words, even if you’re a wealthy Russian oligarch who has an aversion to international trade laws, you’ll have to try pretty hard to get a Cybertruck across the border.
More on the truck: Quaint Island Village Disgusted When Cybertruck Visits, Parks Blocking Entire Crosswalk, Then Gets Stuck on Beach
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