Tesla sends $2,000 refunds to Australians and New Zealanders after seven year wait

Customers in Australia and New Zealand will receive $2,000 back from Tesla after the automaker canceled plans to sell the Cybertruck in their markets. The company sent emails to reservation holders confirming that production plans for the region have ended. Tesla stated it will process the refund for every deposit within 30 days of the customer receiving a confirmation email with their details verified.

The decision closes a seven year gap between the initial reservation and the final notification. Many buyers placed their deposits in 2019, long before the truck began reaching early US customers in 2023. According to Drive Australia, sources indicated the Texas factory was not equipped to build the vehicle with a right-hand steering wheel. This technical limitation prevented the truck from being legally driven on public roads in countries where traffic flows on the left.

The lack of a right-hand drive version affects more than just Australia and New Zealand. The vehicle cannot legally operate on public roads in the United Kingdom, Japan, or Ireland without specific modifications. Tesla has not officially launched the Cybertruck in these regions or the European Union. European authorities have not granted regulatory approval for the truck. Industry observers believe the sharp edges of the stainless steel body pose specific hazards to pedestrians, which conflicts with current safety rules for crumple zones and weight classifications.

As a gesture to affected customers, Tesla is offering a free year of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) access. This perk is available to anyone who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y. The offer applies to the specific group of customers who held Cybertruck reservations for the Australian and New Zealand markets.

The US Army also faced hurdles trying to bring the trucks into Europe. A notification from the US Army Customs Agency stated that several specifications violate EU safety standards. The agency specifically cited the sharp-edged, stiff stainless-steel body as the primary issue for protecting vulnerable road users. This aligns with the broader regulatory concerns that have kept the truck out of official European sales channels.

A small number of Cybertrucks have appeared in Europe through a workaround. Individual owners secured single-vehicle approvals by making enough modifications to the truck to satisfy local regulators. These cases remain exceptions rather than the rule. Most buyers in right-hand drive markets will now look to the Model 3 or Model Y as the primary Tesla options, supported by the new self-driving incentive.

The refund process begins immediately for those who have received the initial email. Customers must wait for the follow-up confirmation before the 30 day clock starts. The company did not provide a total count of affected reservations in the initial communication.