The Cybertruck online ordering button has been wiped from Tesla’s Australian website. Should customers who placed an order apply for a refund of their deposit?
Tesla Cybertruck customers in Australia can apply for a refund of their deposit after the electric pick-up was pulled from the Australian website two months ago.
Although Tesla Cybertruck deposits in Australia have been refundable from the time the order books opened in 2019, the sudden removal of the online ordering button from the Tesla Australia website is seen as a sign the vehicle is not coming Down Under.
The Tesla Cybertruck was able to be ordered via the Australian website from late 2019 – less than a month after it was unveiled in the US.
There was initially an expectation the sharply-styled pick-up would be sold in Australia. However, the Tesla Cybertruck's order button was removed from the Tesla Australia website in May 2022.
While Tesla has never confirmed the Cybertruck would be sold in Australia, the online ordering portal was viewed as an indication it would eventually be available in local showrooms.
In August 2020, Tesla boss Elon Musk told to Automotive News USA the Cybertruck would not be sold globally.
"We're really, fundamentally making this truck as a North American ass-kicker, basically," Musk was quoted by Automotive News USA as saying, in an exclusive interview with the industry journal's publisher.
"The goal is to kick the most amount of ass possible with this truck. We want it to be something you could use to tow a boat, a horse trailer, pull tree stumps out of the ground."
Confusingly for Australian buyers interested in the Cybertruck, photos and technical information for the vehicle remained on the Tesla Australia website following these comments – and remain on the Tesla site today – even though local customers no longer have the ability to place an order.
This has been interpreted as an indication Australia will not get the original Cybertruck. Tesla Australia does not respond to media requests for clarification.
However, Australia may in fact get a smaller Toyota HiLux-sized version at a later date.
In December 2021, Tesla showroom staff told Drive they don't believe the Cybertruck will be offered in Australia in its current guise.
In January 2022, an industry analyst in the US claimed Tesla was developing two types of Cybertruck, including a smaller ute similar in size to a Toyota HiLux – which would be more suitable for Australia.
It is unclear how many customers in Australia placed an order for the Cybertruck.
However, customers who placed a $150 deposit are entitled to have that amount refunded given there appears to be no current plans to introduce the model locally.
It is worth noting that, unlike non-refundable deposits for the Tesla Model 3 sedan (and now also the Tesla Model Y SUV), deposits for the Tesla Cybertruck in Australia have always been refundable.
Drive understands the refund process is not automatic because the Cybertruck has not formally been withdrawn from sale, and therefore customers must apply to get their deposit back.
For Tesla’s current Australian product range – the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV – the company requires a $350 non-refundable order fee for all purchases, which is in addition to the RRP of the vehicle.
Tesla has never confirmed the Cybertruck is coming to Australia, but nor has it formally ruled out the vehicle. Information about the Cybertruck remains on the Tesla Australia website.
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk this week announced the Cybertruck is now due to enter production next year and turn up on US roads mid-way through 2023, although for now only North American customers are able to place an order for the all-electric pick-up.
Jordan Mulach is Canberra/Ngunnawal born, currently residing in Brisbane/Turrbal. Joining the Drive team in 2022, Jordan has previously worked for Auto Action, MotorsportM8, The Supercars Collective and TouringCarTimes, WhichCar, Wheels, Motor and Street Machine. Jordan is a self-described iRacing addict and can be found on weekends either behind the wheel of his Octavia RS or swearing at his ZH Fairlane.
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Copyright Drive.com.au 2022ABN: 84 116 608 158
Copyright Drive.com.au 2022ABN: 84 116 608 158
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