Tesla ends long wait for Cybertruck in Australia and New Zealand

Tesla has officially halted plans to sell the Cybertruck in Australia and New Zealand, marking the end of a seven-year waiting period for regional customers. Starting this morning, reservation holders received emails confirming that their orders are void and that their deposits will be fully refunded within 30 days. In an attempt to retain these customers, the automaker is offering a free one-year subscription to its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software to anyone who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y instead.

The decision follows a long history of uncertainty for buyers in the region. Australian customers began reserving the vehicle in November 2019 for a deposit of A$150. Although Tesla quietly removed the reservation page in May 2022, it did not issue refunds at the time, leaving customers in limbo. The situation persisted despite CEO Elon Musk telling shareholders in 2024 that certification for other markets might occur "next year." That year passed without a right-hand-drive version being produced.

The primary obstacle remains the vehicle's design. The Cybertruck is currently built exclusively in left-hand drive, which is incompatible with the driving standards in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan. Adapting the truck for these markets would require significant re-engineering and certification under local design rules, a costly endeavor that Tesla appears unwilling to undertake given current sales volumes.

Financial data suggests the investment is difficult to justify. In the third quarter of 2026, Tesla delivered only 8,295 vehicles in the "Other Models" category, which now consists almost entirely of Cybertrucks since the Model S and X production lines ended. This pace equates to roughly 30,000 units annually, far below the production capacity of 250,000 units the facility was designed to handle. With total global reservations estimated at around 2 million, Australia and New Zealand represent a significant but small slice of the market, with surveys indicating they accounted for approximately 3% of all reservations.

Reactions from the automotive community have been mixed, with many noting that this outcome was foreseeable. Critics point out that Tesla allowed deposits to sit for four years after closing the order page without clear communication. However, some observers argue that many customers may have already cancelled their pre-orders because the final truck differs from the 2019 promise in price and range. Additionally, the vehicle has struggled to gain traction in North America, with sales dropping significantly from their peak in 2024.

Tesla’s international strategy for the truck now focuses on left-hand-drive markets. Deliveries have already begun in South Korea and the UAE, with configurators available in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel. The vehicle remains blocked from the European market primarily due to pedestrian safety regulations. For Australia and New Zealand, the cancellation confirms that the Cybertruck is becoming a niche product, with expansion limited to regions that do not require right-hand-drive adaptations.

Next steps for reservation holders are straightforward: they will receive their refunds within the 30-day window. Those interested in switching to a Model 3 or Model Y can apply for the FSD subscription offer. For the broader market, this move signals that Tesla is prioritizing efficiency and existing left-hand-drive infrastructure over the costly development of new regional variants.