Cybertruck's Down Under Dream Ends: Tesla Refunds Deposits After 7 Years
Tesla has ceased all plans to deliver the Cybertruck to Australian and New Zealand customers, ending a reservation period that began in late 2019.
By Naledi Dlamini ·
After years of speculation and waiting, Tesla has officially scrapped its plans to deliver the Cybertruck to Australia and New Zealand. On October 23, 2026, the company began notifying reservation holders via email that their orders are now void and that deposits will be returned in full. The message confirms the end of a process that began for many in November 2019, when a A$150 deposit could secure a spot in line for the electric pickup.
The correspondence sent to customers is direct. "After careful consideration, plans to produce Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand have been discontinued," the email reads. "As a result, we're unable to fulfil your reservation and it will be cancelled." Tesla has stated that all payments will be refunded within a 30-day period. For those willing to pivot, the company is offering a complimentary one-year subscription to FSD (Supervised) if the customer orders a Model 3 or Model Y instead.
The cancellation effectively ends a reservation period that spanned nearly seven years. While the initial deposits were accepted in late 2019, Tesla closed the Australian reservation page in May 2022, replacing it with an option to "get updates" rather than issuing refunds to those already waiting. Throughout that period, demand for the vehicle was reportedly high; a 2020 crowdsourced survey indicated that Australia accounted for approximately 3% of global reservations, ranking third behind the United States and Canada.
The primary obstacle to a regional launch has been vehicle configuration. The Cybertruck is manufactured exclusively in left-hand drive, while markets like Australia and New Zealand require right-hand drive. Furthermore, the vehicle would require certification under Australian design rules, representing a significant engineering and regulatory investment. This complexity comes at a time when Cybertruck sales in its primary North American market have slowed significantly from 2024 levels.
Tesla has not pursued right-hand drive conversion for any international market. Recent deliveries have been concentrated in left-hand drive regions such as South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, with configurators opening in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel. The vehicle remains unavailable in the European Union, where it faces hurdles regarding pedestrian safety regulations.
Production volumes suggest that a regional manufacturing program would not be financially viable. In the third quarter of 2026, Tesla reported delivering 8,295 units in the "Other Models" category, which now comprises almost entirely Cybertruck inventory following the end of Model S and Model X production. This quarterly figure equates to an annual pace of roughly 30,000 units, far below the production line's designed capacity of 250,000 units per year.
The refusal to offer a right-hand drive version effectively blocks the vehicle from other major markets that require that configuration, including the United Kingdom and Japan. Consequently, the Cybertruck remains restricted to a limited number of left-hand drive territories where Tesla has established a presence.
While some Australian reservation holders may have voluntarily cancelled their pre-orders in recent years, given the vehicle launched with higher prices and lower range than originally promised, the official cancellation marks the definitive end of the wait for those who remained in the queue. The company is now directing those customers toward its existing inventory of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, which are produced in right-hand drive configurations suitable for the region.
Source: Electrek
