2 Million Reservations: The End of the Right-Hand Drive Dream

Tesla has formally ended its Cybertruck ambitions for Australia and New Zealand, sending cancellation emails to reservation holders today. The notification confirms that the automaker will no longer produce the electric pickup for these right-hand-drive markets, effectively voiding orders that have been pending since late 2019. Customers will receive full refunds for their deposits within 30 days, while those who pivot to purchasing a Model 3 or Model Y will be offered a complimentary one-year subscription to FSD (Supervised).

The decision marks a significant end to a long wait for customers in the region. Reservations for the truck opened in November 2019, with Australians initially paying A$150 to secure their spot. For nearly seven years, buyers held their deposits while Tesla delayed the launch. The cancellation email, which quickly circulated on social media and Reddit, states that after careful consideration, plans to produce the Cybertruck for the region have been discontinued. The message acknowledges that the company is unable to fulfill the reservations.

This development follows a timeline of quiet closures and shifting promises. In May 2022, Tesla shut down the Australian reservation page, replacing the order button with an option to receive updates. At that time, no refunds were issued, leaving existing reservation holders in limbo. By 2023, crowdsourced tracking suggested total global reservations had reached approximately 2 million, with Australia holding roughly 3% of that volume, placing it behind only the US and Canada in reservation count. In 2024, a display tour brought a Cybertruck to the region, and CEO Elon Musk suggested certification for other markets might occur the following year, but the right-hand-drive version never materialized.

The core issue driving the cancellation is technical and financial. The Cybertruck is currently built exclusively in left-hand drive, requiring significant re-engineering for markets like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan. Australia also mandates specific design rule certifications, adding to the complexity and cost. Tesla has already launched the vehicle in left-hand-drive markets, including South Korea and the UAE, with configurators opening in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel. However, the truck remains blocked in the EU due to pedestrian safety concerns.

Financial data suggests the right-hand-drive investment is no longer viable. In Q3 2026, Tesla delivered just 8,295 units of its "Other Models" category, which now consists almost entirely of the Cybertruck since Model S and Model X production ended. Estimates place Cybertruck sales at 7,000 to 8,000 units last quarter, equating to a production pace of roughly 30,000 units per year. This is far below the production line’s capacity of 250,000 units annually. At this volume, the cost to adapt the vehicle for two markets with a combined population of approximately 33 million people is difficult for financial leadership to approve.

The cancellation comes one day after Tesla reported its Q3 2026 earnings. While some reservation holders may have already canceled their pre-orders due to rising prices and reduced range, the decision confirms the Cybertruck is becoming a niche product primarily for North America. The company’s international strategy now focuses on placing existing left-hand-drive units in compatible markets rather than developing new variants. For now, Australian and New Zealand buyers can expect their deposits back, with the option to switch to a standard electric sedan or SUV for a year of supervised self-driving.

The shift highlights a broader trend in Tesla’s international expansion, where it is prioritizing markets that require minimal modification to existing production lines. As the Cybertruck’s demand in North America stabilizes, the company appears less inclined to take on the engineering burden of right-hand-drive versions. The refund process is expected to be completed within the stated 30-day window, bringing a definitive close to a seven-year waiting period for those who placed their money on the truck.