Tesla cancels Cybertruck plans for Australia

Tesla has officially ended its Cybertruck program in Australia and New Zealand. Customers who placed deposits on the electric pickup began receiving notification emails on October 23, 2026, confirming that their orders are void and their funds will be returned.

Three key facts define the cancellation. First, Tesla is refunding all payments made by reservation holders within 30 days. Second, customers who switch their order to a Model 3 or Model Y will receive a free one-year subscription to FSD (Supervised). Third, this decision follows a nearly seven-year wait, as Australian buyers could reserve the truck back in November 2019.

The company stated in the email that it was "unable to fulfil your reservation." The offer to convert reservations into Model 3 or Model Y sales suggests Tesla is attempting to retain customers by selling vehicles it actually manufactures for the region. The announcement arrived one day after Tesla released its third-quarter 2026 earnings report.

Context reveals why the truck never reached these markets. The Cybertruck is built exclusively in left-hand drive, while Australia and New Zealand require right-hand drive vehicles. Australia also imposes specific design certification rules, making approval costly. Tesla had quietly closed its Australian reservation page in May 2022, replacing it with an update button, but did not issue refunds at that time.

Sales data supports the decision to exit. In the third quarter of 2026, Tesla delivered 8,295 units in the "Other Models" category, which now consists almost entirely of Cybertrucks. Estimates place quarterly sales between 7,000 and 8,000 units, or roughly 30,000 annually. This figure is far below the production line's capacity of 250,000 units per year.

Tesla’s international rollout has so far been limited to left-hand-drive countries, including South Korea, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel. The truck remains blocked in the European Union due to pedestrian safety concerns. Australia and New Zealand, with a combined population of 33 million, represent a significant geographic gap that requires a new vehicle design to fill.