Tesla has officially cancelled plans to bring the Cybertruck to Australia and New Zealand, with customers who placed deposits set to receive their money back.

After years of uncertainty surrounding the polarising electric ute, the decision is hardly a surprise. Tesla has notified reservation holders that the Cybertruck will not be offered in either market. Deposits will be refunded in full, with customers expected to receive their money within 30 days.

Tesla first opened Cybertruck reservations in 2019, taking refundable deposits of $150. The company stopped accepting new Australian reservations in 2022, but existing customers were left waiting for confirmation of whether the vehicle would ever reach local showrooms.

The Cybertruck is available in the US with dual-motor all-wheel drive and a more powerful three-motor Cyberbeast flagship. Tesla claims the Cyberbeast can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.7 seconds, while the dual-motor version offers a claimed range of up to 523km and towing capacity of 4990kg. These specifications apply to overseas models, with no Australian version planned.

While Cybertrucks have appeared in Australia for promotional events and public displays, a local launch never eventuated. The vehicle was developed for left-hand-drive markets, and bringing it here would have required significant engineering changes to meet Australian regulations.

As a sweetener, Tesla is offering affected customers a free 12-month subscription to its Full Self Driving (Supervised) software if they purchase a new Model 3 or Model Y. The subscription is valued at $1788.

The decision ends Australian and New Zealand Cybertruck reservations, with no local release planned.

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