The Tesla Cybertruck saga continues to fuel debate and anticipation, and new details have just emerged thanks to NHTSA’s release of some of the electric pickup’s specifications.

NHTSA, short for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States, is the agency responsible for regulating motor vehicles and road safety in the country. Publishing this information gives customers and curious people a more concrete look at what Tesla’s Cybertruck has to offer.

The lightest version is already too heavy

Despite the production issues facing Tesla and its employees, the company has managed to take a significant step forward by sharing these features with the highway regulatory agency. The information provided in the document goes into great detail and reveals some of the key elements of Cybertruck, including the “lightest” version of the electric pickup, which will weigh more than 3.5 tons.

One of the most relevant information concerns engines. The document confirms that there will be a “dual engine” version, as well as another with three engines, of course for the Performance model we mentioned a few days ago on Auto Plus.

The Cybertruck’s weight is a key consideration, as it will have implications for the type of driver’s license required to drive it. In its lightest version, the Cybertruck weighs 3,629 kg. For example, in France, a C1 license is required to drive any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, which means that most drivers will need to obtain a heavy vehicle license to get behind the wheel of the Cybertruck, at least in the base version. .

The French exception

But not so fast. Indeed, in France, there is an exception for the GVWR of electric and hybrid vehicleswhich allows freeing the vehicle from the weight of the battery within one ton for light vehicles of category M1 and two tons for heavy goods vehicles of categories M2 M3 or N2 N3, and this within the total weight of the drums.

So it is possible to drive a vehicle weighing 4.5 tonnes with a load while holding a B licence if it is equipped with a 1000 kg battery, as well as a heavy weight of 21 tons (instead of 19 tons) with a C license if the battery weighs two tons. At this point, we don’t know all the details about the Tesla Cybertruck, but there’s a good chance it will.

Depending on the options selected, the weight of the Cybertruck can vary significantly. The twin-engine version can weigh up to 4,082kg, while the more powerful and potentially more versatile variant can range from 4,082 to 4,536kg.

Has Tesla already prepared its move?

The provision aimed at compensating the weight of electric vehicle batteries, which is provided for in article R 312-4 of the Highway Code and which we explained above, could allow the Cybertruck to be sold “normally” in France. It remains to be seen how this will play out in other European countries, as this is French law, not European law.

Still, even if Tesla is stuck with its Cybertruck, the brand is sure to find a solution, especially in the SUV and professional segment. In general, with such dimensions (5.88 meters in length and more than 2 meters in width!) and such weight, this machine will in any case be more oriented towards professionals.

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