Why Tesla is giving back Cybertruck deposits to Australians and Kiwis

Tesla has ended its Cybertruck campaign in Australia and New Zealand, returning deposits to nearly two million customers who have waited since late 2019. On October 23, the company emailed reservation holders to confirm that their orders are now void and that full refunds will be processed within 30 days. This move closes a seven-year gap between the initial launch of reservations and the final decision to stop producing the vehicle for these markets.

The notification, which many customers posted on social media and Reddit, stated that Tesla was "unable to fulfil your reservation" after careful consideration. Those who choose to switch to a new Model 3 or Model Y will receive a free one-year subscription to Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Tesla issued these emails one day after reporting its third-quarter 2026 earnings, suggesting a strategic pivot to promote its existing right-hand-drive models.

The primary barrier to the truck's arrival in these regions is design compatibility. The Cybertruck is manufactured exclusively with a left-hand steering wheel, whereas Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan require right-hand drive vehicles. Adapting the truck to meet Australian design certification rules would have been costly, particularly given the vehicle's current market position. Tesla has kept its international rollout limited to left-hand-drive nations, including South Korea, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel.

Sales data for the electric pickup do not support the expense of a regional redesign. In the third quarter of 2026, Tesla delivered 8,295 units in the "Other Models" category, a figure that now represents almost entirely Cybertruck sales. Analysts estimate annual global sales at roughly 30,000 units, a number far below the production line's capacity of 250,000 per year. This output is modest when compared to the combined population of Australia and New Zealand, which stands at approximately 33 million people.

Tesla first opened reservations in Australia in November 2019 with a deposit of A$150. While a 2020 crowdsourced survey suggested Australia was the third largest market for reservations, the company never confirmed these regional figures. By 2023, tracking data indicated total reservations had reached about 2 million. Tesla had quietly closed the Australian reservation page in May 2022, replacing it with a button to receive updates, but did not refund customers at that time.

In 2024, Elon Musk told shareholders that the company might certify the truck for other markets within a year, and Tesla shipped a unit to Australia for a display tour. That right-hand-drive version never materialized. Many Australian reservation holders had likely already cancelled their orders after the 2023 vehicle arrived with a higher price and less range than initially promised. The Cybertruck remains blocked from the European Union primarily due to pedestrian safety concerns.