According to a an insider source obtained by 36Kr, one of Tesla’s key goal this year is to introduce to Cybertruck to the Chinese market.

This is not the first hint of Tesla’s intentions to bring the one of a kind pick-up truck to the biggest car market.

Trademark Registrations

On January 21, 2025, Tesla successfully registered the Chinese trademark “特斯拉赛博“, which translates to "Tesla Cyber".

The trademark application was first submitted on February 26, 2024 and was under “official review” on October 20, 2024.

The trademark application was categorized under transportation, following the earlier registration for the English name "CYBERTRUCK," which was submitted on May 18, 2021, and approved on July 21, 2022.

MIIT Consumption Label

On December 11, the Cybertruck completed an energy consumption homologation and received an official Automobile Energy Consumption Label from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China.

The consumption label is one of many conditions that a passenger vehicle needs to meet in China to clear road compliance before entering the market.

On that label, the Cybertruck was listed as an M1 vehicle, with “M” for passenger type of vehicle and “1” for the primary use to transport passengers. Sedans, SUVs, minivans, and hatchbacks are typically also classified as M1.

This classification is particularly important and revealing because some cities have restrictions on pickup trucks, requiring mandatory scrapping after 15 years of use.

This regulation is part of the country's efforts to ensure road safety and environmental protection

Cybertruck spotted on the roads in China

On August 16, 2024, a road-legal Tesla Cybertruck was spotted with a green license plate in Tianjin.

To date, that sighting was the only Cybertruck that has successfully been registered in the country.

National standards with sharp protrusions

According to the 2018 national vehicle safety standards, passenger vehicles are prohibited from having sharp protrusions on external and internal parts that could potentially harm passengers or pedestrians.

Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), had stated that the Cybertruck's angular and polygonal design fails to meet these regulatory standards.

CEO Elon Musk previously admitted the difficulties of manufacturing a road-legal pickup truck in China and Europe due to regulatory constraints.

In December, Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, confirmed that the Cybertruck would not be introduced to the European market because of its sharp edges.

He explained, "The American pickup market is massive, which is different from Europe, and European regulations require a 3.2-millimeter rounding on protruding parts. Unfortunately, it's impossible to achieve a 3.2-millimeter rounding on a 1.4-millimeter stainless steel sheet."

Can Cybertruck reignite the same excitement in China?

The Cybertruck has gained significant popularity in recent years. Elon Musk previously announced that the demand for the pick-up truck was “so off the hook, you can’t even see the hook.”

According to a crowd-sourced data tracker at the time, the Cybertruck had surpassed 1.9 million reservations as of July 21, 2023.

However, Cybertruck deliveries have not met the expectations, selling a little over 41,000 units through 2024. The single best quarter came in the Q3 with 16,692 Tesla Cybertruck sold.

Despite the underwhelming sales relative to the pre-order volume, the Cybertruck was the 5th best-selling EV model in the U.S., one place ahead of the Ford F-150 Lightning.

The Cybertruck also sold better than the Rivian R1S, which ranked 10th.

Although the demand for pickup trucks in the Chinese market is relatively low, the uniqueness of the Cybertruck might reignite the interest of young consumers in Tesla.