Tesla cancels Australian and New Zealand Cybertruck sales after seven years

Tesla sold the Cybertruck in the United States starting in 2023, but the company just told customers in Australia and New Zealand that the truck will never arrive there. The electric pickup remains unavailable in those markets because Tesla's factory in Texas cannot build it with the right-hand steering wheel required for local roads.

In an email sent to reservation holders, Tesla stated that its plans to produce the vehicle for the two countries have been discontinued. The company will refund all deposits within 30 days of customers receiving a confirmation email with their details. Most reservations were made in 2019, meaning some buyers waited seven years for a vehicle that will not be delivered.

Tesla is offering a concession to soften the blow. Any customer who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y will receive one year of Free Self-Driving, Supervised access at no cost. This incentive applies to those affected by the cancellation of their Cybertruck reservations.

The primary obstacle has been the vehicle's design. The Cybertruck features a stiff, stainless-steel body with sharp edges that regulators in the United Kingdom, Japan, Ireland, and the European Union consider a hazard to pedestrians. The US Army Customs Agency noted that these specifications violate EU safety standards designed to protect vulnerable road users.

Without a right-hand-drive version, the truck cannot legally be driven on public roads in Australia and New Zealand. It also lacks regulatory approval in the European Union, where rules on crumple zones, lighting, and weight classifications pose challenges. Although some individual owners have managed to bring modified trucks into Europe through single-vehicle approvals, the vehicle has not received broad market clearance.

Drive Australia reported in 2023 that sources indicated the Texas factory was not set up to build right-hand-drive models. This limitation has prevented Tesla from launching the Cybertruck in the UK or the EU, where the sharp design elements remain a specific concern for authorities. The decision to stop pursuing these markets confirms that the vehicle will not meet the necessary safety modifications for widespread sale in the region.