This is the moment a Tesla Cybertruck was seen driving around Puerto Banus in Marbella yesterday.
Just 24 hours earlier, the same vehicle had been clocked in Algeciras after rolling in from Tarifa, despite the model being banned in the EU.
Since its dramatic reveal nearly a year ago, the Cybertruck has divided opinion like few other vehicles. It is made by Tesla, famously owned by the South African billionaire Elon Musk.
With its brutalist, no-curves design and stainless steel exoskeleton, it’s either a triumph of innovation or a dystopian death trap – depending on who you ask.
Measuring nearly six metres in length, over two metres wide, and tipping the scales at 3.5 tonnes when loaded, this is no ordinary pickup – it’s a beast. And in Europe, it’s a regulatory nightmare.
So what’s the problem? In short: it’s too sharp – literally
EU road safety laws require external bodywork to have rounded edges with a radius of at least 3.2mm. The Cybertruck’s stark, angular panels are just 1.4mm. It means it is too dangerous for European pedestrians, say the experts.
Tesla’s head of engineering, Lars Moravy, has admitted there’s no way to soften the edges without compromising the Cybertruck’s look.
That hasn’t stopped determined enthusiasts. In the Czech Republic, one owner has successfully jumped through a flaming hoop of technical and bureaucratic hurdles to get the Cybertruck road-approved.
It involved retrofitting amber turn signals, adding a rear fog light, and padding the sharp edges with rubber guards – the automotive equivalent of sticking foam on kitchen knives.
Still, safety campaigners across Europe aren’t thrilled. Groups like the European Road Safety Council and the International Federation of Pedestrians have slammed the vehicle as a public risk that shouldn’t be allowed on European roads – modified or not.
The model seen in Marbella shows it bearing California plates, sparking a wave of speculation.
Musk, of course, is currently in the US, so can be ruled out as the driver.
But whether it’s a one-off stunt or a preview of things to come, the Cybertruck’s presence in Banus certainly fits the location’s appetite for all things flashy.
