Tesla has officially abandoned plans to deliver its Cybertruck to customers in Australia and New Zealand, seven years after first accepting preorders in the region. The automaker notified reservation holders via email that production plans for both markets have been discontinued, promising to issue full refunds within 30 days after buyers verify their information.
To retain prospective customers, Tesla is offering affected reservation holders a complimentary one-year subscription to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) if they choose to order a new Model 3 or Model Y instead.
The decision resolves years of uncertainty surrounding the vehicle’s availability in right-hand-drive markets. According to Drive Australia, Tesla’s Texas manufacturing facility was never set up to assemble right-hand-drive configurations of the pickup. Without steering controls on the right side, the vehicle cannot be legally registered for road use in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, or Japan.
International regulatory challenges extend beyond the cabin layout. The pickup has not secured regulatory approval in the European Union or the UK, where requirements govern vehicle crumple zones, weight categories, and pedestrian safety. The US Army Customs Agency previously acknowledged these hurdles when confirming the vehicle could not be brought into Europe, citing the truck’s rigid stainless-steel construction and angular bodywork as violations of European standards protecting vulnerable road users.
Source: Engadget
