The Tesla Cybertruck has landed in China, and as expected the futuristic looking electric pickup truck drew massive crowds on the first day of its National Tour around the country.
The first Cybertrucks arrived in China earlier this month after CEO Elon Musk said that while it will be very difficult it to become certified as road legal in the country, the company could send some prototypes over to be put on display. That post on X was either made with knowledge that plans were already in the works, or the company worked very quickly to send multiple Cybertrucks to China as the first two were spotted at a local airport just a few days later.
Last week Tesla announced those Cybertrucks would go on a National Tour, starting January 28, and scheduled to visit eight cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Chongqing. On Saturday the official Tesla Asia account on X announced the start of the tour, sharing photos of the Cybertruck at various landmarks across the country.
— Tesla Asia (@Tesla_Asia) January 29, 2024
Given the Cybertruck’s allure, especially in a country like China where full size pickup trucks are rare, the event drew massive crowds, with hundreds lining up to see the Cybertruck up close.
Just a few people lining up to see the Cybertruck at various locations in China 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/bP6ueOt1Ni
— Drive Tesla 🇨🇦 (@DriveTeslaca) January 28, 2024
If the hype around the Cybertruck wasn’t enough, Tesla turned it into a party atmosphere, even bringing out a DJ to pump up the crowd at the Nanjing Xinjiekou Deji Plaza.
The crowds for Cybertruck and Tesla tonight at Nanjing Xinjiekou Deji Plaza. pic.twitter.com/i6yO6LX9p3
— S.E. Robinson, Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) January 29, 2024
Many of these fans lining up to see the Cybertruck likely have a reservation for one. In 2020, less than one year after the Cybertruck was unveiled, Tesla opened up pre-orders in China, before later shutting down reservations in 2022. However, during that time thousands paid ¥1,000 (C$190/US$140) to put their names on the list, although based on those recent comments from Musk, they may never get their Cybertruck and will instead only be getting a refund.
While the Cybertruck may not ever make it to China, the amount of attention it will get on the National Tour will undoubtedly be a boon for Tesla. Just like the Cybertruck displays in North America, the National Tour will generate a lot of new Model 3 and Model Y sales for the company after people becoming interested in Tesla because of the Cybertruck.
