Tesla Promised To Bring The Cybertruck To Australia And New Zealand. But It's Never Coming

The Tesla Cybertruck is not coming to Australia and New Zealand, the company told reservation holders via email, according to forum posts first spotted by Electrek.

This follows seven years of anticipation. The Cybertruck has been available for pre-order in Australia since it was first revealed in November of 2019. The truck was delayed long past its originally promised 2021 production date. But it did eventually launch in the U.S. and a handful of overseas market, albeit with smaller-than-expected sales figures.

Gallery: Tesla Cybertruck Long Range (2025)

6

Source: Tesla

The stainless steel truck was supposed to encourage a rapid transition to electric trucks. But like most vehicles in its segment, it has struggled to capture a fraction of the U.S. pickup truck market, as consumers balk at high prices and fret over towing range. Sales have been far below expectations. It's fair to blame a price that was far higher than Tesla originally promised in 2019. A string of high-profile quality issues did not help the project, either.

Related Stories

Tesla's Cybertruck Problem Keeps Getting Worse

Tesla Cybertrucks Are Still Breaking Down All Of The Time

With the global launch going quite poorly by Tesla standards, it's not too surprising to see the company give up on export markets like Australia and New Zealand. Both have different regulatory structures than the U.S., making localization an in-depth process. And both markets are also already buying an increasing number of Chinese EVs, loosening Tesla's grip on the global EV market. An expensive, large truck would likely not move the needle much in either place.

The company is offering reservation holders a full refund along with a complimentary one-year subscription to Full Self-Driving if they reserve a new Model 3 or Model Y instead. I can't imagine buyers who actually need a truck taking Tesla up on that, but it's a consolation price nonetheless.

Photo by: Tesla

It's a further sign of Tesla's relative dearth of high-volume consumer models. It has killed the Model S and Model X, and the Cybertruck and Roadster are more vanity projects than big sellers. That means new volume will have to come from the Model Y L, the Semi truck, or increasing sales of the Model 3 and Model Y, which are increasingly falling behind the competition in terms of range, charging specs, and new features.

The company has therefore tied its fortunes to its autonomous driving ambitions and the Cybercab. Its core products are the same as ever, and still the best-selling electric models on the globe. Tesla clearly no longer believes that its path to growth is expanding the core lineup; It's on solving autonomy.