The Tesla Cybertruck is still in need of some changes before it makes its way to Australia, but the country’s director is still unsure whether the vehicle will ever make its way down under.
In March, we reported on Tesla’s intention to bring the Cybertruck to Australia and potentially New Zealand. Country Manager Thom Drew said Tesla had intentions to bring the truck to the market, especially as there is a lack of a “real workhorse, full EV that has the range and capability that Cybertruck does.”
Tesla plans to bring Cybertruck to new market for a big advantage
Now, there has been more criticism about the concerns for the vehicle to be approved for operation in Australia. Various people have said that the Cybertruck would not comply with Australian Design Rules, according to EVCentral. But Drew believes that those critics are simply spouting their opinions.
At the Melbourne Motor Show, Drew said:
“A lot of those concerns are unfounded around its compliance. There is a lot about it that works within the Australian compliance system. Are there changes required? That is absolutely part of the discussion with headquarters at the moment.”
It sounds as if Tesla might not have to change the truck but potentially redesign an all-new pickup design. The new truck will have to be right-hand drive, and steer-by-wire has been mentioned in some discussions as a potential issue for passing the ADRs.
Additionally, the shape and angles of the Cybertruck have been criticized in several markets as potentially dangerous to pedestrians. However, if you take the angular design and steer-by-wire away, it’s not really a Cybertruck any longer; it might end up being Tesla’s first traditional pickup design.
Currently, Drew remains skeptical that the Cybertruck will ever break into the Australian market. He said that a lot of these changes would require significant adjustments to the Cybertruck manufacturing program, as right-hand-drive units would have to be produced on the production lines in Gigafactory Texas. This could throw a wrench into the production timeline.
He added:
“I think the consideration we have to make a decision on, as a business, is Australia really the only right-hand drive market where it’s suitable? That is obviously part of the consideration for the program. I am not confident it’s coming, but we are discussing it. Locally, we want to see it [Cybertruck] here but it’s certainly not a done deal just yet.”
It seems somewhat unlikely as of right now that the Cybertruck will make its way into a new market.