Tesla refunds $2,000 deposits to customers who waited seven years

Customers in Australia and New Zealand who reserved a Cybertruck in 2019 will receive their $2,000 deposits back within 30 days. Tesla confirmed in an email sent to these buyers that it will not bring the vehicle to their markets. The wait for a right-hand-drive version of the truck officially ends this month.

The email states that Tesla’s plans to produce the Cybertruck for these two countries have been discontinued. Because the company can no longer fulfill the orders, it will process the refunds once customers confirm their details via a follow-up email. Tesla is also offering a free year of Full Self-Driving Supervised access to anyone who orders a new Model 3 or Model Y as a gesture to affected customers.

The core issue preventing the launch was the lack of a right-hand-drive configuration. Sources told Drive Australia in 2023 that Tesla’s Texas factory was not set up to build the truck for markets where traffic drives on the left side of the road. Without this specific build, the vehicle could not legally operate on public roads in Australia or New Zealand.

This manufacturing limitation affects other left-hand-drive countries as well, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and Ireland. Tesla has not launched the Cybertruck in the UK or the European Union, and the vehicle has not received regulatory approval from European authorities. Officials have cited rules regarding crumple zones, pedestrian safety, lighting, and weight classifications as barriers to approval.

European regulators have flagged the truck’s sharp edges as a particular hazard for pedestrians. The US Army Customs Agency noted in a notification that the vehicle’s stiff stainless-steel body violates EU safety standards for protecting vulnerable road users. This technical hurdle has blocked even government fleets from importing the truck into the region.

A small number of Cybertrucks have appeared in Europe through individual workarounds. Owners have secured single-vehicle approvals by making enough modifications to the trucks to satisfy local regulators. These isolated cases do not change the fact that Tesla has stopped trying to sell the model in the Australasian market.

The decision follows seven years of waiting for Australian and New Zealand buyers. The last step in the process involves the return of the initial deposit paid at reservation. Tesla will handle these financial reversals directly through its customer service channels.