Tesla's Cybertruck would not get regulatory approval in Europe
spiegel.de
spiegel.de
Cybertruck would not get approval in Europe
In the US the Tesla Cybertruck was pre-ordered a hundred thousand times. It is still unclear when the electric off-road vehicle will come onto the market in this country. However, a TÜV expert now explains that approval in Germany would not be possible at the moment.
Stefan Teller, an expert from SGS-TÜV Saar GmbH, told the "Automobilwoche" that "major modifications to the basic structure" would be necessary beforehand. "Tesla's basic concept contradicts the current European safety philosophy". With regard to the Cybertruck, the expert sees major shortcomings: "The occupants feel safe, but are not," says Teller. Because there is a big difference in the type approval of vehicles between the USA and Europe.
In the US, car manufacturers have the option of certifying the roadworthiness of their vehicles themselves, known as self-certification. In Germany, on the other hand, a type approval procedure applies in which both the manufacturers and the authorities and independent technical services such as TÜV are involved. "For vehicles, 50 to 60 regulations must be complied with," says Teller.
In addition, the Cybertruck is one of the so-called light duty trucks in the USA. Vehicles of this class are exempt from many regulations regarding the passive safety of the occupants. In Europe, on the other hand, passive safety and pedestrian protection are of great importance. "The front of the vehicle must not become as stiff as it likes," says Teller. "Bumpers and bonnets must be able to absorb energy in order to protect pedestrians. This means that the body is designed to deform in a targeted manner in the event of an accident and to absorb the energy of the impact in order to minimise injuries.
"Enormous forces act on the occupants".
This targeted deformation is not possible with Tesla, however, because the cybertruck uses highly rigid sheet metal. "Nothing deforms in the event of an impact, instead enormous forces act on the occupants. Airbags won't help any more," says Teller. If the Tesla Cybertruck is to receive approval in Europe, it would have to be heavily modified.
As the Tesla Cybertruck is currently designed, the expert does not give the E-Pick-up a chance. In its current design, "it will not be possible to sell this truck in Germany as a mass production vehicle on the basis of a type approval," says Teller. "This is still a big task for Mr. Musk."
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)