Tesla’s Cybertruck China Filing Fuels Buzz Over Long-Awaited Market Launch

Tesla's Cybertruck has moved a step closer to potential availability in China after receiving an energy consumption label from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The filing has fueled social media speculation about an official market launch.

Tesla’s Cybertruck Filing Sparks Renewed Speculation

Tesla has taken a fresh step in China that has revived similar conjecture, following a few days of denial of the claims about the Cybertruck's introduction to the nation.

Tesla just obtained an Automobile Energy use Label after submitting data measuring the Cybertruck's energy use to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), CnEVPost reports.

According to MIIT's database, the Cybertruck has a 618-kilometer range and is an M1 passenger vehicle.

According to the database, the electric pickup has three electric motors with peak powers of 206 kW, 222 kW, and 222 kW, and it weighs 3,104 kilos.

Its estimated energy cost is RMB 14.92 ($2.1) per 100 kilometers, which is equivalent to 2.62 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers, and its electricity consumption is 22.6 kWh per 100 kilometers.

Cybertruck’s Performance in Extreme Temperatures

In hot climates, turning on the air conditioning reduces the range by around 15%; in cold climates, it drops by roughly 40%. This information is derived from the database.

Though we don't have any more details just yet, the file has caused some to speculate on Weibo and WeChat, among other social media sites, that China may get the Cybertruck.

Yiche, a local media outlet, said today that Tesla is updating the Cybertruck to meet the safety standards set by the domestic market for pedestrian collision protection, but did not provide any more information.

It should be noted that there are multiple compliance measures that automakers must do for each model in China, including getting the Automobile Energy Consumption Label. The Cybertruck may not be released to China very soon just because it received the title.

Tesla’s Global Cybertruck Strategy

Cybertruck deliveries in the US started on November 30, 2023, after Tesla announced the model in November 2019.

As part of an effort to downplay the Cybertruck's pickup truck character, Tesla toured the vehicle in multiple Chinese locations in late January, highlighting that it was a crossover wagon.

"Getting Cybertruck road legal in China would be very difficult, but we could ship some prototypes over for display," Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said on his own social media site, X, on January 14.

Although Musk did not identify any particular legislative obstacles, it is worth noting that pickup trucks are often classified as light trucks in China. As a result, they face numerous regulations that limit their sales in comparison to other types of passenger cars, such as sedans, SUVs, and MPVs.

China Market Rumors Persist Despite Tesla’s Denials

There were speculations earlier this month that Tesla was going to import the Cybertruck to China, but the company later dismissed the rumors.

On December 2, the local media site Jiemian cited a statement from Tesla's China team stating that the business has no intentions to sell the model in China.