Tesla Scraps Cybertruck Plans for Australia and New Zealand
After nearly seven years of waiting, Tesla has formally canceled electric pickup reservations in the region, promising full refunds and a one-year FSD subscription for those who switch to a Model 3 or Model Y.
By Dmitri Sokolov ·
Tesla has officially terminated its plans to sell the Cybertruck in Australia and New Zealand. The automaker sent emails to reservation holders today, confirming that their orders are void and initiating the refund process. This move ends a long period of uncertainty for consumers in the region who had been waiting for a right-hand-drive version of the electric pickup.
The cancellation follows a timeline that began in November 2019, when Australian customers started paying A$150 to reserve the vehicle. For nearly seven years, these consumers waited while Tesla hinted at future availability. The company’s email, which has been shared widely on social media and Reddit, states that after careful consideration, production plans for the region have been discontinued. Tesla confirmed that full refunds will be processed within 30 days for any payments made. To encourage a transition, the company is offering a free one-year subscription to FSD (Supervised) to any reservation holder who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y instead.
Australia was a significant market on paper, with a 2020 survey placing it third in global reservations behind the US and Canada. However, Tesla quietly closed the Australian reservation page in May 2022, replacing it with an updates button without refunding deposits at the time. In 2024, the company shipped a truck for a display tour, and CEO Elon Musk told shareholders that certification for other markets might happen the following year. That promise went unfulfilled as the truck never received the necessary right-hand-drive configuration.
The core issue remains the vehicle’s design. The Cybertruck is built exclusively in left-hand drive, which creates a barrier for markets like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan. These regions require right-hand-drive vehicles, and Australia additionally demands certification under its own design rules. This re-engineering cost is difficult to justify given the truck's current demand profile. Tesla’s international launches so far have been limited to left-hand-drive markets, including South Korea, the UAE, and several Middle Eastern countries, while the EU remains blocked by pedestrian safety concerns.
Financial data underscores the difficulty of the situation. In Q3 2026, Tesla delivered 8,295 units in the "Other Models" category, a group that is now predominantly Cybertruck since production of the Model S and X ended. Estimates suggest Cybertruck sales were between 7,000 and 8,000 units last quarter, representing an annual pace of roughly 30,000 units. This is far below the production line’s capacity of 250,000 units annually, making a major re-tooling for two markets with a combined population of 33 million a hard sell for corporate finance leaders.
This decision confirms the Cybertruck’s status as a niche product primarily for the American market. While some reservation holders may have already canceled due to the vehicle’s higher price and lower range compared to original promises, the formal cancellation provides closure. Tesla’s strategy now appears focused on selling existing left-hand-drive inventory rather than expanding the model’s global footprint. The next step for affected customers is straightforward: receive their refunds within the 30-day window or pivot to a different Tesla model to secure the FSD benefit.
Source: Electrek
