Tesla cancels Cybertruck plans for Australia and New Zealand

Tesla has cancelled plans to make the Cybertruck available in Australia and New Zealand and will refund reservation deposits, according to a customer email quoted by Engadget. The decision ends planned availability rather than withdrawing an existing service.

Engadget reported on October 23 that the affected customers had reserved the vehicle seven years earlier. Tesla told them its “plans to produce Cybertruck” for the two countries “have been discontinued.”

Earlier questions about right-hand-drive production

Availability had been in question for years, according to Drive Australia’s reporting cited by Engadget. In 2023, when Tesla began delivering Cybertrucks to early buyers, Drive’s sources said Tesla’s Texas factory was not configured to build a right-hand-drive version, with the steering wheel on the right. Engadget says that version is needed for legal road use in Australia and New Zealand.

Refund timing and the alternative offer

Tesla says it can no longer fulfil orders in the two countries. Its promised 30-day refund period begins when customers receive the email confirming their details, not from the date of the news report.

The company is also offering affected customers one year of free access to Full Self-Driving (Supervised), conditional on ordering a new Model 3 or Model Y, Engadget reports.