Tesla has once again denied rumors that the Cybertruck will be introduced in China, despite recent speculation. The company refuted claims that sales of the electric pickup truck would start on January 1, 2025, stating that there are no plans for such a launch on that date.
Recent reports suggested that the Cybertruck would soon be available in China, with the Tesla China website displaying product information for three trims: Cyberbeast, all-wheel-drive, and rear-wheel-drive. However, a Tesla source in China clarified that these rumors are false and that there are no immediate plans to bring the Cybertruck to the Chinese market.
This is not the first time such rumors have circulated. Earlier this month, Tesla’s China team confirmed that there were no plans to sell the Cybertruck in China. Despite this, the company filed for energy consumption measurement for the Cybertruck at China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on December 11, receiving an automobile energy consumption label shortly after. The Cybertruck was listed as an M1 passenger car with a range of 618 kilometers in the MIIT database, sparking further speculation about its potential introduction to China. However, the filing was later revoked for unknown reasons.
Tesla initially released the Cybertruck in the United States in November 2019, with deliveries beginning on November 30, 2023. The company conducted a tour of the Cybertruck in several Chinese cities earlier this year, emphasizing its crossover wagon characteristics to downplay its pickup truck image.
While pickup trucks face restrictions in China as they are categorized as light vans, sales have been steadily increasing. In the first eleven months of this year, China’s pickup truck sales reached 471,000 units, with new energy pickup trucks seeing a 58 percent year-on-year increase to 10,500 units.
Despite the challenges of making the Cybertruck road legal in China, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted at the possibility of shipping prototypes for display purposes. The company’s focus remains on expanding its presence in the Chinese market, with ongoing developments and updates to its product lineup.
