7 Years of Waiting: Tesla Scraps Cybertruck Plans for Australia and New Zealand
After nearly seven years of holding deposits, Tesla officially cancels its electric pickup truck for right-hand drive markets, citing high costs and low sales volumes.
By Jacob Leary ·
Seven years is the duration of the wait that has now officially ended for thousands of Australian and New Zealand drivers. Tesla has announced it is discontinuing the Cybertruck for these two markets, sending emails to reservation holders today to confirm their orders are void. The move ends a long period of uncertainty for consumers who began reserving the electric pickup back in November 2019.
The timeline of this delay is notable for its length. In 2019, Australians paid A$150 to secure a spot in line for a vehicle that was never actually available to them. By May 2022, Tesla quietly closed the reservation page, replacing it with a simple "Get updates" button, but it did not issue refunds at that time. The truck remained on the menu, but out of reach. In 2024, the company shipped a single unit to the region for a display tour, and CEO Elon Musk told shareholders that certification for other markets might happen "sometime next year." That year passed, and no right-hand-drive version materialized.
The core issue preventing the truck’s arrival is mechanical and financial. The Cybertruck is currently built exclusively in left-hand drive. To sell in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan, the vehicle requires a right-hand-drive configuration and specific local safety certifications. This re-engineering represents a significant expense for a vehicle that is currently struggling with demand in its home market of North America.
The sales data supports Tesla’s decision to pull back. In the third quarter of 2026, Tesla delivered only 8,295 units categorized as "Other Models," a group that now consists almost entirely of Cybertrucks since production of the Model S and Model X ended. Analysts estimate that roughly 7,000 to 8,000 Cybertrucks were sold last quarter, translating to an annual pace of about 30,000 units. This is a stark contrast to the production line’s capacity of 250,000 units per year.
Tesla is attempting to mitigate the disappointment by converting these dead reservations into sales of vehicles it currently builds for right-hand-drive markets. Customers will receive a full refund of any payments made within 30 days. Additionally, those who order a new Model 3 or Model Y will receive a free one-year subscription to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a gesture of goodwill.
The decision comes just one day after Tesla reported its Q3 2026 earnings. While the company continues to expand the Cybertruck into left-hand-drive markets like South Korea, the UAE, and parts of the Middle East, the vehicle remains blocked in the European Union largely due to pedestrian safety regulations. For Australia and New Zealand, the era of waiting for the truck is over, replaced by a refund and a potential switch to a more traditional electric sedan or SUV.
Source: Electrek
