Tesla will not release Cybertruck in Australia and New Zealand — Engadget

Tesla will not sell the Cybertruck electric pickup in Australia and New Zealand. The company informed customers who reserved the vehicle seven years ago, Engadget reports.

In an email, the automaker said its plans to produce the Cybertruck for these two countries had been discontinued. Tesla will refund all deposits made, as it can no longer fulfill orders for these markets. Refunds are expected to be processed within 30 days after customers receive an email confirming their details.

Refunding deposits

The company is also offering customers one year of free access to the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system if they order a new Model 3 or Model Y. Tesla did not state the reasons for discontinuing its Cybertruck plans in Australia and New Zealand in the email.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The right-hand-drive issue

According to Australian publication Drive Australia, the Cybertruck's availability on the local market had remained uncertain for several years. In 2023, the publication's sources said that Tesla's Texas factory was not configured to produce this model with right-hand drive.

Without a right-hand-drive version, the Cybertruck cannot be legally operated not only in Australia and New Zealand, but also in the United Kingdom, Japan and Ireland. Tesla has also not officially released the model in the United Kingdom or the European Union, where the vehicle has not received regulatory approval. The report lists body crumple zone requirements, pedestrian safety, lighting and weight categories among the possible obstacles to approval in the EU.