It’s not new news that Tesla is in trouble, the American electric car brand has been on a sales slide since 2024. But there is a new report that the brand is seriously considering bringing its controversial Cybertruck to Australia in a bid to help turn around its fortunes.
Thom Drew, Country Director (Motors) for Tesla Australia & New Zealand, recently spoke with CarsGuide and admitted that work is going on behind-the-scenes to get the unorthodox ute ready for Australian sale.
“It remains under review,” Drew told CarsGuide. “It’s certainly not confirmed yet.
“The local team and certainly the interest we’re seeing after the Everything Electric Show in Sydney, and we’ve been doing our own tour for 12 months now, heaps of interest in Australia, but definitely only under the review stage at this point.
“From my understanding, not to speak on behalf of the engineering team, the main structure of the vehicle would remain the same. There are certain changes that are required for ADR compliance, obviously, but it would look very, very similar.”
However, the (theoretical) arrival of the Cybertruck would be no guarantee of success for Tesla in Australia. In the USA the Cybertruck has failed to sell in anywhere near the volume the company believed it would, so much so it reportedly has more than 2000 examples in excess stock and has slowed down production.
It doesn’t help that the angular ‘truck’ has been hit with several high-profile recalls and Tesla’s brand image has taken a major hit since its CEO, Elon Musk, moved heavily into politics; including taking up a role in the US Federal Government cutting thousands of jobs.
The other major issue with the Cybertruck is the price, which starts at US$82,235, nearly double the starting price for the brand’s Model Y SUV. Should Tesla offer the Cybertruck in Australia, it’s highly-likely it would command a price well above $100,000 by the time it is produced in right-hand drive and imported across the world; as the Cybertruck is only made in the US, unlike the Chinese-built Model 3 and Y sold in Australia.
There’s also question marks over the viability of all-electric utes in Australia. The market is dominated by turbo diesel engines, with plug-in hybrids such as the new Ford Ranger PHEV and BYD Shark 6 seens as the next small step forward for the segment.
What do you think – should Tesla bring the Cybertruck to Australia?
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