Tesla Kills the Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand After Seven Years of Deposits

Tesla has told reservation holders in Australia and New Zealand that the Cybertruck is not coming, ending a wait that began in November 2019. Deposits are being refunded in full, and the reason comes down to one steering wheel.

Quick Answer

Is the Tesla Cybertruck coming to Australia or New Zealand? No. Tesla emailed reservation holders on 22-23 October 2026 (the date varies by time zone) to say production plans for both markets have been discontinued. Reservations are cancelled, and refunds are due within 30 days of customers confirming their details.

What Tesla Told Customers

The email, titled “Important Update to Your Cybertruck Reservation,” was short. Its key line said plans to produce Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand “have been discontinued.” Tesla added that it could not fulfil the reservations, so they would be cancelled.

The refund process has two steps:

• Tesla refunds any payments made in full.
• A separate email asks holders to confirm their refund details.
• Money is returned within 30 days of that confirmation.

The reservation deposit in Australia was A$150. New Zealand figures differ between reports, so Kiwi holders should check the amount they actually paid.

As a consolation, Tesla is offering a free one-year Full Self-Driving (Supervised) subscription to reservation holders who order a new Model 3 or Model Y. The offer’s end date has not been confirmed, and it only helps someone willing to buy another Tesla.

Why the Cybertruck Never Made It Down Under

The core issue is engineering, not paperwork. Tesla never developed a right-hand-drive (RHD) Cybertruck. Australia and New Zealand both require RHD configurations for standard new-vehicle sales, so a left-hand-drive-only truck had no clean legal path to showrooms.

The signs were visible for years:

• May 2022: Tesla removed the Cybertruck order button from its Australian website.
• 2022: Australian outlets reported that the refundable deposit could be reclaimed, though Tesla never formally ruled the truck out.
• Model S and Model X: Tesla also dropped RHD versions of these models in both countries, a sign of how little appetite it had for low-volume RHD engineering.

Tesla’s priorities moved to left-hand-drive markets. Cybertruck orders opened in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE in October 2025, and reports say US sales fell nearly 50% in 2025. A niche, polarising truck with a costly RHD redesign was always a hard business case.

The Real Cost Is Trust, Not Money

A$150 is refundable, so the financial loss is small. The credibility loss is larger. Reservation holders spent close to seven years in the queue. Industry reports note that Tesla’s regional leadership was still suggesting as recently as 2025 that an Australian launch might be possible, perhaps as early as 2026.

Large utes dominate Australian showrooms, and a Cybertruck reservation list kept Tesla in that conversation. A company that sells on ambitious timelines pays a price when those timelines quietly disappear.

What It Means for Indian EV Buyers

India is a right-hand-drive market, so the lesson transfers directly. Tesla’s Indian lineup is built around models that already exist in RHD form:

Model (India)	Price	Key claims
Model Y Premium RWD	₹50.89 lakh	Up to 500 km WLTP range, 0-100 km/h in 5.9 sec
Model Y L (six-seater)	From ₹61.99 lakh	Up to 681 km claimed range

Tesla entered India in July 2025 with the Model Y, and deliveries of the 2026 Model Y Premium RWD began from July 2026. The company now has experience centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Gurugram, and is expanding Supercharger hubs.

The Cybertruck remains a North American product, with no confirmed path to wider international sales in the near term. Three takeaways for Indian buyers:

1. A reservation is not a delivery date. A refundable deposit costs little, but it should never be read as a promise.

2. RHD engineering decides everything. A model without a right-hand-drive platform rarely reaches India, Australia, the UK or Japan.

3. Volume models get priority. Tesla’s global strategy leans on the Model 3 and Model Y, not niche designs.

What Reservation Holders Should Do Now

1. Find Tesla’s cancellation email and save a copy.

2. Watch for the second email and confirm your refund details promptly.

3. Track the 30-day window from the date you confirm.

4. Think carefully before accepting the FSD offer, since it requires buying another Tesla.

The Bottom Line

The Cybertruck’s story in Australia and New Zealand ends with a refund email instead of a delivery. It is a clear reminder that a vehicle designed without a second steering position will always struggle outside its home markets. For buyers in India and other RHD countries, the safest bet remains the mainstream models Tesla actually builds for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

---