Tesla has cancelled the Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand after almost seven years of deposits. Here's what Tesla said, the real reasons it isn't coming, and what happens to your refund.
By Varun Punyamurtula ·
It is official. Tesla has cancelled the Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand, almost seven years after Australians first put down deposits for its stainless steel ute.
Reservation holders were emailed on 23 October 2026, a day after Tesla's latest quarterly results. Here is what Tesla said, the real reasons the Cybertruck never made it here, and what it means if you were waiting for one.
Quick answer: Tesla says its plans to build the Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand "have been discontinued" and every reservation will be cancelled and refunded. Tesla gave no reason. The likely ones: it is only built in left hand drive, it would need costly changes to pass Australian Design Rules, and demand for it has dropped sharply. If you want a big electric or hybrid ute, you will need to look elsewhere.
The email to Australian and New Zealand reservation holders was short. Tesla wrote that "after careful consideration, plans to produce Cybertruck for Australia and New Zealand have been discontinued" and that it is "unable to fulfil your reservation and it will be cancelled."
That is the full explanation. Tesla did not say why, and it has not made any public statement beyond the email.
Tesla has not given a reason, so these are the factors that stood in its way, based on how the truck is built and how Australia approves new cars.
Every Cybertruck comes off the line in Texas with the steering wheel on the left. Australia needs right hand drive. Moving the wheel is not a simple swap on a truck like this, which uses steer by wire and a dash, wiring and structure designed around one layout. Tesla has never built a right hand drive version for any market.
Every new car sold here has to meet the Australian Design Rules, and many of those rules follow the same United Nations standards used across Europe. The Cybertruck is still not sold in Europe, mainly because of concerns over how its hard, sharp edged stainless steel body would treat a pedestrian in a crash.
Getting it through Australian certification would likely have meant reworking parts of the body and lights, not just moving the steering wheel.
The dual motor version weighs about 3,000kg before you add people or cargo, and it is about 5.7 metres long and 2.4 metres wide with its mirrors out. That is bigger than a Ford Ranger and closer to a full size American pickup. Those vehicles are sold here mostly as local right hand drive conversions, a costly path that suits low volumes.
This may be the biggest reason. Tesla built its Cybertruck line for up to 250,000 trucks a year. Tesla's own results show it delivered 8,295 "other models" in the third quarter of 2026, a group that includes the Cybertruck plus the Model S and Model X. Sales in the United States have fallen well below their 2024 peak.
With so few being sold in its home market, spending big to re-engineer the truck for two small right hand drive countries was always going to be a hard sell inside Tesla.
Our take: no single rule killed it. Left hand drive only, a costly approval process and falling sales all pointed the same way.
For those who wanted one, here is what Tesla claims for the US models. These are overseas figures and were never confirmed for Australia, and Tesla never announced an Australian price.
It can also power your home in a blackout through Tesla's Powershare system, when it is plugged into the right Tesla home equipment.
Tesla says every reservation holder gets a full refund of what they paid. It will email refund details separately, and says it will process refunds within 30 days once you confirm those details. Check your inbox, and your junk folder, for the email.
Tesla's offer to reservation holders: Tesla's email also says Cybertruck reservation holders who order a new Model 3 or Model Y by the end of 2026 will get a free one year subscription to Full Self Driving (Supervised). Check the exact eligibility in your email from Tesla.
Terms apply. This offer is made by Tesla, not Drivers Insider, and is subject to Tesla's own terms and conditions. Tesla may change or end it at any time. Details are correct as reported on 25 October 2026; always confirm with Tesla before you order.
Not easily. New cars generally need Australian approval before they can be registered here, and the Cybertruck has none. A private left hand drive import is not a realistic option for most buyers, so for now the only Cybertrucks you will see on Aussie roads are display vehicles.
If you wanted a Cybertruck for its electric power, towing or tech, these are the closest things you can buy new in Australia right now:
None of them is as wild as a Cybertruck, but all of them are sold here in right hand drive, with local warranties and servicing. Want to see how they're selling? Check our Australian new car sales tracker.
Waiting on a Cybertruck and need a ute now? Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia, on a new, demo, near new or used car. Find me a ute. Selling your current car first? Get help selling your car or check what it's worth.
Yes. On 23 October 2026 Tesla emailed Australian and New Zealand reservation holders to say its plans to produce the Cybertruck for both countries have been discontinued and their reservations will be cancelled.
Tesla did not give a reason. The truck is only built in left hand drive, it would need major changes to meet Australian Design Rules, and demand for it has fallen sharply overseas.
Yes. Tesla says all payments will be refunded in full, processed within 30 days of you confirming your refund details.
Not from Tesla any time soon. With the plans discontinued and no right hand drive version, there is no sign of it returning. We will update this story if that changes.
Details are from Tesla's email to reservation holders on 23 October 2026 and Tesla's published US specifications, which may differ in other markets. Images: Tesla (official press images).
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