33 Million People Left Behind: Tesla Scraps Cybertruck Plans for Australia and New Zealand

Seven years of waiting have officially ended for Australian and New Zealand electric truck fans.

Tesla has formally discontinued its plans to produce the Cybertruck for the Australian and New Zealand markets. Customers who placed reservations are receiving emails today confirming that their orders are void and their initial deposits will be refunded. This decision marks the end of a long period of uncertainty for consumers in the region who have been anticipating the arrival of the electric pickup since late 2019.

The core issue is a mismatch between the vehicle’s design and the local driving standards. The Cybertruck is currently built exclusively as a left-hand-drive vehicle. Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan all require right-hand-drive configurations. Additionally, Australia mandates specific certification under its own design rules. For a truck that is already facing softening demand in North America, the financial burden of re-engineering the platform for two markets totaling roughly 33 million people is difficult to justify. Tesla’s international launches so far, including in South Korea and the UAE, have been limited to left-hand-drive regions.

The cancellation comes shortly after Tesla reported its Q3 2026 earnings, highlighting a significant gap between production capacity and actual sales. While Tesla built its production line for 250,000 units annually, it delivered only 8,295 "Other Models" in the third quarter of 2026. Since the Model S and Model X have ended production, this category represents almost entirely Cybertruck sales. This translates to an annual pace of approximately 30,000 units, a fraction of the line's potential. At this volume, the investment required for a right-hand-drive program is no longer viable for the company's financial leadership.

For those who have been waiting since November 2019, the process of securing a spot began with a A$150 deposit. For nearly seven years, customers heard promises that certification for other markets might happen "next year," a phrase used by CEO Elon Musk in 2024. However, Tesla quietly closed the Australian reservation page in May 2022 without issuing refunds at the time, leaving customers to wait. Now, with the plans discontinued, Tesla is processing full refunds within 30 days. To encourage loyalty, the automaker is offering a free one-year subscription to its Supervised Full Self-Driving feature for those who switch to a new Model 3 or Model Y.

This move confirms that the Cybertruck is becoming a niche product with a strong focus on the American market. While the truck has faced challenges, including a drop in US sales from about 39,000 units in 2024 to a smaller number today, Tesla is continuing to sell the existing left-hand-drive inventory in international markets. For Australian and New Zealand buyers, the wait for a locally certified version appears to be over, at least for now.