Tesla cancels Cybertruck plans in Australia and New Zealand: refunds and what happens next
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Tesla emailed reservation holders in Australia and New Zealand to say Cybertruck plans for both markets "have been discontinued".
- Every deposit gets a full refund within 30 days of confirming details, plus a free year of Full Self-Driving with a new Model 3 or Model Y order.
- The truck stays in production in North America. The real blocker was right-hand drive: Tesla never built one.
Tesla has cancelled its Cybertruck plans for Australia and New Zealand. The company emailed reservation holders on Thursday, 22 October 2026. It said plans to produce the truck for either market have been discontinued.
What happened
Tesla sent an email titled "Important Update to Your Cybertruck Reservation" to Australian and New Zealand customers, according to Zecar. The email said the company could not fulfil the reservations. All reservations will now be cancelled.
Customers who paid a refundable deposit of $150 will get it back in full. Tesla says a separate email will ask customers to confirm their refund details. The money will be returned within 30 days of that confirmation.
Reservation holders also get one free year of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) if they order a new Model 3 or Model Y. The subscription ties to the email address on the reservation. It activates after delivery, according to Zecar.
People in both countries had been waiting since November 2019. That is almost seven years. Tesla opened reservations just after the truck was first revealed.
In 2025, the Tesla Australia and New Zealand country director Thom Drew said the truck was under consideration. He told media that engineers were discussing right-hand-drive feasibility. The company never formally confirmed a local launch before this email.
Why it matters
The Cybertruck is built only in left-hand-drive form. Australia and New Zealand drive on the left side of the road, so they need right-hand-drive cars for normal sale. A new left-hand-drive vehicle is not legal to sell in Australia.
No right-hand-drive Cybertruck was ever engineered, according to a 2023 report cited by Zecar. Elon Musk said in 2024 that Tesla designed the truck to North American requirements. He said meeting every international standard would make the truck worse.
US sales have also slowed. Cox Automotive data cited by Zecar shows 20,237 Cybertrucks sold in the United States in 2025. That is down from 38,965 in 2024.
The cancellation does not end the truck itself. The Cybertruck remains in production and on sale in North America. Outside North America, Tesla has opened orders in left-hand-drive markets like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
Buyers in Australia who want a large electric pick-up still have options. Zecar lists the MG U9 at $78,990 in Australia as one choice. But there is no longer a local path to a Tesla truck.
Meanwhile, owners keep the truck famous
One owner has wrapped his Cybertruck in a bright yellow Pikachu Pokemon wrap. The whole truck is covered in Pikachu artwork. A video shared online shows a man spotting it and filming it up close.
The Cybertruck's flat, angular panels make it a natural canvas for wraps. Its normal stainless steel finish is easy to spot already. The yellow wrap makes it nearly impossible to miss, Supercar Blondie reports.
In Oregon, an owner named Cayden says he went to extreme lengths to afford one. He sold his blood plasma hundreds of times to improve his finances, Torque News reports. He had wanted the truck since its 2019 unveiling.
Cayden ordered a $59,990 Cybertruck in February 2026 during a 10-day special offer. He took delivery months later. He says his father, who drives a Chevy Silverado 1500, now wants to trade it for a Cybertruck.
Stories like these explain why the cancellation stings. The truck has a fan base that treats it like a dream car. Seven years of waiting made that dream feel close in Australia.
What happens next
Refund instructions will arrive in a separate email from Tesla. Customers must confirm their refund details. Tesla says the full amount returns within 30 days of confirmation.
Reservation holders who switch to a Model 3 or Model Y can add the free year of Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Zecar values that subscription at about $1,788. The end date of the offer was not confirmed.
The door to a right-hand-drive Cybertruck now looks shut for both countries. No production version was ever announced. Tesla's local range stays built around the Model 3 and Model Y.
For buyers who need an electric vehicle now, the Model 3 and Model Y remain on sale in both markets. But the angular steel truck will not be joining them.
For the fans who waited seven years, the wait is over in the worst way. The refund will land, but the truck will not. The Cybertruck remains a North American story, for now.
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