Tesla Cybertruck Spotted in Moscow, Russians Not Impressed

8 photos

Interest in the Cybertruck is incredibly high despite some criticizing its shortcomings. Many celebrities have bragged about having one, and even Russian oligarchs are willing to do whatever it takes to own one of Tesla's electric pickups. Despite sanctions, a Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted in Moscow, and its temporary owner explained in a YouTube video how he got it.

Tesla always advertised the Cybertruck as the most revolutionary pickup truck on the market. Although the final product was not as compelling as the prototype unveiled in 2019, Tesla was overwhelmed by the interest in the Cybertruck. People were willing to do whatever it took to get their hands on a Cybertruck, including paying at least double the advertised price. For the first time in history, a pickup truck was cool enough that celebrities wanted to be seen in one.

Considering more than a million reservations, Tesla was well aware that the Cybertruck would be in high demand, so it tried to prevent people from flipping it. A no-resale clause was introduced in the sales contract to make selling the Cybertruck less compelling. Tesla also hiked the price by launching the Cybertruck with a "Foundation Series" package that included few things of value. Basically, a $20,000 price hike to monetize the Cybertruck's popularity.

Despite the no-resale clause, the Cybertruck has been a regular at car auctions in North America, changing hands for well over $200,000. People got creative to go around Tesla's restrictions, and we haven't heard of anyone regretting selling their Cybertruck. Sure, some people got blacklisted by Tesla, so they could not buy another car in their name. However, that's not enough to prevent people from wanting to make over a hundred thousand dollars.

This is why the Cybertruck has landed even in countries where Tesla doesn't sell it. In February, a Tesla Cybertruck was listed for sale on a German classifieds platform for 485,000 euros, or $522,000. The price was the highest we've seen for a Cybertruck, but the seller thought it was more than justified. It included individual homologation required to make the Cybertruck road legal and modifications to allow registration in Germany.

Another Cybertruck was spotted this week in Patriarch Ponds, a fancy residential area in Moscow. Officially, Tesla doesn't even sell its vehicles in Russia, but this doesn't seem to matter. When Russian oligarchs want something, they get it, one way or another. The buyer agreed to make a video with a local influencer in Belarus before bringing the truck to Moscow. He explained that he bought the Cybertruck from an early reservation holder.

While he didn't disclose the amount paid for the truck, he said he made the owner "an offer he couldn't refuse." The truck was then exported to Europe, from were it was brought to Belarus. From there, it was easy to get to Russia. Judging by the reactions to the video, the Russians are not impressed by the Cybertruck's design or build quality. But this doesn't mean it would not make a lot of money for the people who imported it.

Sanctions schmanctions ?! The first Tesla Cybertruck in Russia was photographed parked in Moscow's historical Patriach Ponds. Fyi @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/N1TOgGMSf8

— Jason Corcoran (@jason_corcoran) April 30, 2024