Cybertruck exits Australia, New Zealand: Tesla refunds seven-year deposits

Tesla customers in Australia and New Zealand will receive their money back. The electric carmaker confirmed on Thursday that it will no longer produce or sell the Cybertruck in those two countries. This decision ends a wait that began for many buyers in 2019.

The company sent an email to reservation holders stating that its plans to produce the vehicle for the region have been discontinued. Tesla will refund all deposits within 30 days of customers receiving a confirmation email with their details. As an additional measure, the automaker is offering one year of Full Self-Driving Supervised access to anyone who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y.

The root of the issue lies in manufacturing capabilities. According to Drive Australia, Tesla’s Texas factory was not set up to build right-hand drive vehicles when it began delivering Cybertrucks to early buyers in 2023. This technical gap prevented the truck from entering markets where drivers sit on the right side of the car.

The absence of a right-hand drive version blocks legal road access in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Ireland. While Tesla has not officially launched the vehicle in the UK or the European Union, regulatory hurdles in Europe remain steep. European authorities have not granted any form of approval for the truck.

Regulators cite specific safety concerns regarding the vehicle’s design. The US Army Customs Agency noted that the sharp-edged, stiff stainless-steel body violates EU safety standards for protecting vulnerable road users. These rules cover crumple zones, pedestrian safety, lighting, and weight classifications. The truck’s angular shape poses a particular hazard if it strikes a person.

Some Cybertrucks have appeared in Europe through individual single-vehicle approvals. Owners secured these permits by making specific modifications to satisfy local regulators. The US Army also found it difficult to bring the vehicles into the region due to these same specification conflicts.

Tesla’s withdrawal confirms that the Cybertruck will not become a standard sight on the roads of Australia or New Zealand. The company’s refund policy applies to all reservation holders in those regions, closing out a product line that never received local regulatory clearance.