Tesla has informed customers who reserved the Cybertruck seven years ago that the company will no longer produce the vehicle for the Australian and New Zealand markets. In an email to reservists, the automaker said its “plans to produce Cybertruck for those countries have been discontinued.” Because it cannot fulfill the orders, Tesla will return all deposits within 30 days of the confirmation email. The company also offered a free year of Full Self‑Driving (Supervised) to anyone who subsequently purchases a new Model 3 or Model Y.
The decision follows years of uncertainty about the truck’s availability in the region. Drive Australia reported that when Tesla began delivering the first Cybertrucks in 2023, its Texas plant was not set up to build a right‑hand‑drive version. Without such a model, the vehicle cannot be legally driven on public roads in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan or Ireland.
Tesla has not officially launched the Cybertruck in the UK or the European Union, and the vehicle has yet to receive any regulatory clearance from European authorities. Analysts believe it will struggle to meet EU standards because of issues such as crumple‑zone performance, pedestrian safety, lighting and weight classifications, as well as the sharp‑edged stainless‑steel body that could pose a hazard to vulnerable road users. The U.S. Army Customs Agency echoed these concerns, noting that several specifications of the Cybertruck, especially the stiff stainless‑steel exterior, breach EU safety rules.
Occasionally, a Cybertruck has been seen on European streets after owners secured single‑vehicle approvals by making extensive modifications, but such cases remain rare. The refund and incentive offer aim to compensate the affected reservists as Tesla redirects its focus away from the Australia‑New Zealand market.