Tesla ends right-hand drive Cybertruck production for Australia and New Zealand

Tesla will not sell the Cybertruck in Australia or New Zealand, ending a seven-year wait for customers who placed reservation deposits. In an email sent to reservation holders, the company stated that its plans to produce the vehicle for these two markets have been discontinued. Tesla confirmed it will refund every deposit within 30 days of customers receiving a confirmation email with their details.

The cancellation stems from manufacturing constraints at Tesla's Texas factory, which was not configured to build the truck with right-hand drive. Without that configuration, the vehicle cannot legally operate on public roads in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, or Ireland. Drive Australia reported in 2023 that sources indicated the factory setup would prevent the right-hand drive variant from being built for the region.

To compensate affected buyers, Tesla is offering one year of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) access to anyone who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y. The company did not specify the number of customers receiving the refund, but the deposit amount for the initial reservations was $2,000.

The production halt reflects wider regulatory hurdles for the vehicle outside the United States. The Cybertruck has not received official regulatory approval in the European Union, where authorities have cited concerns over crumple zones, pedestrian safety, lighting, and weight classifications. The truck's sharp edges are viewed as a specific hazard to vulnerable road users.

The US Army Customs Agency noted that the vehicle's stiff stainless-steel body violates EU safety standards. The agency stated that several specifications of the Cybertruck, particularly the sharp-edged body, do not meet the protection requirements for pedestrians in Europe.

Individual owners who have driven Cybertrucks in Europe achieved this through single-vehicle approvals. These approvals require owners to make specific modifications to the truck to satisfy local regulators. Tesla has not launched the Cybertruck in the UK or the EU, and the vehicle remains unapproved by European authorities.

Customers in Australia and New Zealand who reserved the truck in 2019 will now receive their $2,000 back. The refund process begins once the company sends the confirmation email containing the customer's specific reservation details.