Tesla Cybertruck Big Lap dreams dashed
EV brand pulls the plug on five tonne towing machine as Tesla refunds deposits almost seven years after orders openedThe Tesla Cybertruck is not coming to Australia. The news follows emails sent by Tesla to Cybertruck reservation holders in Australia and New Zealand informing them that it's no longer happening.
That’s despite Australia having some of the highest number of pre-orders for the vehicle. But now right-hand drive plans have been binned so that’s the end of the road for Oceania customers.
So as one new Tesla – the Roadster – takes to the heavens with its quasi-flying ability, another one is now six-feet under.
Over and out
Tesla Cybertruck reservations will be cancelled in Australia and New Zealand and customers will get a separate email to confirm their refund details.
The consolation prize is a free year of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which normally costs $149 a month. That's worth $1788, but only if you spend around $50K or more on a new Tesla – Model 3 or Model Y.
Aussies first put down $150 deposits in late 2019, and at one stage Australia ranked third in the world for Cybertruck reservations.
Tesla then pulled the local order page in May 2022 without refunding anyone automatically, which left buyers in limbo.
Hopes went up again when an evaluation truck went on a national roadshow in 2024.
However, the numbers didn't stack up. Australia would probably have been the only right-hand drive market on the planet and the fact that the Cybertruck has not been a huge commercial success in the US hasn’t helped either.
Price is another big hurdle. The dual-motor version sells for about $US80,000 in the US, which works out to roughly $A130,000 here before on-road costs. That's a hard sell in a large pick-up segment that hasn’t fired up as much as the importers of the Toyota Tundra, Ford F-150, RAM 1500 and Chevy Silverado would have hoped.
The road ahead
The question is: Will Tesla look at developing another ute in future that's more sellable to Australian caravanners as well as 'green' truck buyers?
Given its next vehicle appears to be a flying car, the Roadster, it’s anyone’s guess where Tesla’s product portfolio will head next.
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