Tesla’s Cybertruck should be banned from European streets because its “sharp edges” will lead to “increased rates of injury and death”, road safety campaigners have claimed.

The Cybertruck, which weighs more than 4 tonnes and has been hailed as “apocalypse-proof” by Elon Musk, has been spotted in Europe despite strict laws around vehicle design and weight.

In a letter to Martin Kupka, the transport minister of the Czech Republic, safety campaigners claimed that Cybertruck imports posed “illegal risk to all other road users” after one vehicle was registered in the country.

The campaigners, including the European Transport Safety Council and European Cyclists’ Federation, claimed the electric vehicle’s angular design would “exacerbate injury severity and death rates” and urged officials to “suspend the Cybertruck’s access to public streets”.

The futuristic pick-up truck, which is built from panels of stainless steel, also lacks crumple zones, which are parts of the car designed to collapse in the event of a crash and absorb impact in the process. The campaigners said this presented “unacceptably high risks to all other road users”.

The $80,000 (£61,050) Cybertruck was first announced by Tesla’s billionaire chief executive in 2019, with Mr Musk claiming the vehicle would be bulletproof before hitting it with a sledgehammer. The futuristic vehicles are notable for their angular design, which has been likened to the graphics in the video game Minecraft.

After long production delays, the first trucks were delivered in 2023 to US buyers. 

Mr Musk has previously said Tesla plans to sell a modified version of the Cybertruck to comply with European rules.