A Tesla Cybertruck with Sichuan Province green license plates was photographed driving in Zhengzhou on March 9, 2026, highlighting the growing trend of parallel imports for the electric pickup in China. Despite no official sales channel from Tesla, wealthy buyers are navigating regulatory hurdles to register these vehicles at steep prices exceeding 3 million CNY. The sightings underscore persistent demand amid certification challenges.
The Tesla Cybertruck, Tesla's angular stainless-steel electric pickup, continues to appear on Chinese roads through private import channels, even as official introduction remains pending. On March 9, 2026, a unit bearing green license plates from Sichuan Province was spotted in Zhengzhou, navigating elevated highways, near office towers, and in underground shopping mall car parks, according to local media reports.
Green plates in China signify approval for new-energy vehicles, confirming the truck's road-legal status after passing the 'one vehicle, one certification' process under the 3C compulsory standards. This Zhengzhou example follows earlier registrations: the first in Tianjin in August 2024, classified as a commercial vehicle and priced at 3.5 million CNY (about $507,200); one in Liaoning Province in August 2025 at 2.18 million CNY (about $315,900); and others in Tianjin and Chengdu.
Parallel imports command premiums, with prices often over 3 million CNY ($434,000), roughly four times the U.S. starting price of $99,990 for the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version. Tesla has not launched direct sales in China, where the Cybertruck faces barriers from 2018 national safety standards prohibiting sharp external protrusions on passenger vehicles to protect pedestrians. The truck's rigid body does not meet the required 3.2-millimeter curvature rules, a challenge echoed by Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, for similar European regulations.
Tesla registered the 'Tesla Cyber' trademark in China in early 2025 and obtained a Ministry of Industry and Information Technology energy label for the tri-motor Cyberbeast variant on December 11, 2024, classifying it as an M1 passenger vehicle with a 618 km range and 22.6 kWh per 100 km consumption. An insider told 36Kr that introducing the Cybertruck was a 2025 goal, though no delivery timeline has been announced. In the U.S., deliveries reached over 41,000 units by end-2024, against 1.9 million reservations, making it the top-selling vehicle over $100,000 for much of the year.
This pattern mirrors Tesla's Model S, which entered China via grey markets before official channels, trading at up to five times U.S. prices. For now, these imported Cybertrucks serve as status symbols in China's car culture.
