Tesla Ends Cybertruck Plans in Australia and New Zealand After Long Wait

Tesla has officially halted the production of the Cybertruck for customers in Australia and New Zealand. Today, reservation holders received emails confirming that their orders are now void. The company stated that all deposits will be refunded within 30 days. To soften the blow, Tesla is offering a complimentary one-year subscription to its Full Self-Driving supervised mode for anyone who places a new order for a Model 3 or Model Y.

This decision marks the end of a long period of anticipation for buyers in the region. Australian consumers began placing A$150 deposits in November 2019, nearly seven years ago. At the time, the truck was projected to have a starting price of A$39,900. Although Tesla never confirmed exact regional figures, third-party tracking suggested that Australia held roughly 3% of all global reservations, placing it third behind the United States and Canada. By 2023, total reservations worldwide had reached approximately two million.

The path to this cancellation has been marked by delays and shifting signals. Tesla quietly closed the Australian reservation page in May 2022, replacing it with a button for updates without immediately refunding customers. In 2024, the company shipped a unit for a local display tour, and CEO Elon Musk told shareholders that certification for other markets might happen the following year. However, the truck never received the necessary right-hand drive configuration.

The core issue lies in vehicle design and market volume. The Cybertruck is manufactured exclusively with left-hand drive controls. Australia and New Zealand require right-hand drive vehicles, which necessitates a costly re-engineering process and specific local safety certifications. Given that Tesla delivered only 8,295 units of its other models in the third quarter of 2026, a figure that largely represents the Cybertruck, the sales volume is insufficient to justify the investment. This is a slow pace compared to the production line's capacity of 250,000 units annually.

Currently, the Cybertruck is available only in left-hand drive markets, including South Korea, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel. It remains blocked in the European Union due to pedestrian safety regulations. With global demand slowing, the truck is becoming a niche product primarily for North American buyers. Tesla’s strategy now appears to focus on selling existing inventory rather than expanding into costly right-hand drive territories.

For the roughly 33 million people across Australia and New Zealand, the wait is finally over. While many reservation holders may have already canceled their orders, those who remain will receive their money back. The move confirms that Tesla is streamlining its international rollout to focus on markets that align with its current production capabilities.

Next steps for affected customers involve monitoring their bank accounts for the refund. Those interested in switching models can redeem their FSD subscription code when purchasing a new vehicle. Tesla has not indicated any further plans for the Cybertruck in the Southern Hemisphere in the near future.