Exclusive: Tesla Cybertruck firms for Australian release to fill a “real gap in the market”

Virtually three years after Tesla ceased accepting Cybertruck deposits in Australia, the US-basically based fully mostly manufacturer is challenge intensive inside of preparations to open the all-electric opt-up within the community, spurred by rising Australian ardour in electrified utes, including the BYD Shark.

Speaking to Chasing Autos, Tesla’s Country Director for Australia and New Zealand, Thom Drew, shared rare insights into the company’s planning for a local Cybertruck open, including key considerations spherical pricing for the Australian market.

“The ideal [product] we’re missing for the time being that we in point of fact desire right here is the Cybertruck, and we are in conversations attempting to manufacture that happen. That’s something we are attempting to persuade,” Drew acknowledged.

“Our management foreign places recognises the significance that utes [have] in our market, and we undoubtedly look the aptitude. That is someplace we are attempting to enjoy some leverage.”

Tesla’s management considers Australia a mid-tier market. Structurally, the country falls inside of Tesla’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) gross sales location and ranks 2nd most effective to China by formula of quantity. Drew properly-known that Australia holds larger affect than many European markets.

The Cybertruck is a widely recognised battery-electric twin-cab clad in unpainted stainless metal panels. About 30cm longer than a Ford Ranger, it supplies three motor configurations within the US market with the flagship Cyberbeast boasting a 2.7-2nd 0–100km/h speed, with out considerations outpacing a Ranger Raptor.

Reasonably about a headline figures are only as sight-catching, including most braked towing and payload claims of 5000kg and 1100kg respectively within the United States market, whereas Tesla plans to permit merchants to risk an additional vary extender battery that consumes a Third of the tray.

The sight-catching electric ute would possibly possibly perchance perchance revitalise Tesla’s lineup in Australia. While the trace is on the cusp of launching an upgraded model of its Model Y mainstay, overall Australian gross sales dropped 17 p.c in 2024 and demand of has flagged extra within the predominant two months of 2025.

Surprising demand of for electrified utes will get Tesla’s attention

Basically the most up-to-date surge in demand of for electrified utes—exemplified by the BYD Shark disappear-in hybrid, which has already surpassed 2000 deliveries—has played a key position in Tesla reconsidering the timing of an Australian Cybertruck open.

While hybrid utes love the BYD Shark – as properly because the upcoming GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV – offer merchants a style of electrification and conveniences love onboard vitality for home equipment, Tesla believes Australians are ready for elephantine electrification.

“There is nothing else love Cybertruck within the market, appears to be like to be apart – it is far not for each person. As far as capacity: sight, PHEVs enjoy some advantages. One thing love the BYD Shark which has a appealing vary extender variety model, with plenty more EV capacity,” Drew acknowledged.

“[But] there’s silent nothing right here that can perchance perchance additionally very properly be a proper workhorse, elephantine EV that has the vary and capacity that Cybertruck does. We deem there’s a proper gap within the market that also needs to be filled and we would possibly possibly perchance perchance perchance admire to be the ones to prevent it first.”

Sturdy demand of for the BYD Shark has caught Tesla’s attention – in particular provided that rivals love the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T remain unavailable in Australia, leaving the market vast launch for the Cybertruck.

“It’s positively untapped doubtless,” Drew confirmed.

Two more Cybertrucks land in Australia for expanded marketing activities

Below Drew’s management, Tesla Australia has launched – and now expanded – a marketing campaign to bring Cybertruck demonstrators Down Below, aiming to rep obvious purchaser feedback and teach to head office that native demand of justifies an Australian open.

Tesla before all the pieces imported one Cybertruck to Australia for a national roadshow, showcasing it in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. It became displayed in a combination of Tesla retail outlets and public venues as piece of the feedback tour.

Tesla’s management has taken indicate of the Cybertruck’s native popularity. The obvious feedback became sturdy ample to warrant the advent of two extra demonstrators in Australia in most up-to-date weeks for extra promotional exercise.

“We need it right here. Portion of the tour became to procure new eyes onto it, procure a apt notion of what folks take into fable it and what the aptitude demand of shall be…we enjoy a pair more that enjoy honest arrived. We are in point of fact gunning for feedback, helping us to hopefully bring it to market,” Drew explained.

The first Cybertruck demonstrator became left-hand power, nonetheless Drew confirmed to Chasing Autos that there are not any mechanical boundaries to producing a gleaming-hand-power (RHD) model, because the steer-by-wire draw simplifies RHD conversion and lowers manufacturing costs.

“There are about a other adjustments that want to occur to fulfill native requirements…nonetheless it does not enjoy [an RHD] limitation,” Drew acknowledged, noting that switching from Tesla’s NACS American charging port to an Australian/European CCS2 port became an “accommodation” to be made.

Cybertruck’s likely Australian pricing detailed

Two Cybertruck variants are at indicate available within the US: the twin-motor All-Wheel Pressure and the tri-motor Cyberbeast. Both utilise an 800-volt platform and a 123kWh battery, turning in 550km and 515km of vary, respectively—whereas an non-compulsory vary extender adds one more 220km.

While adaptive air suspension promising 440mm ground clearance is normal, vitality and torque vary between the two with the twin-motor producing 450kW/1000Nm for a 4.1sec 0-100km/h time, whereas the 630kW/1396Nm Cyberbeast cuts the speed by one more 1.4sec.

The Cyberbeast’s US pricing supplies the precise indication of its doubtless value in Australia.

“Realistically…we would possibly possibly perchance perchance perchance elevate contemporary US pricing [with] conversion and tax [added], and that’s where we would possibly possibly perchance perchance perchance likely land,” Mr Drew acknowledged, warning that pricing negotiations are a later stage of planning.

Factoring in forex conversion, plus Australia’s items and companies tax (GST) and sumptuous automobile tax (LCT), Drew’s estimate suggests costs that can perchance perchance shock some merchants: spherical $150,000 for the All-Wheel Pressure and $200,000 for the Cyberbeast.

However there’s gleaming files: a more real looking single-motor Cybertruck Rear Wheel Pressure clear is set to open within the US with what appears to be like to be to be a smaller battery providing 400km vary. Energy is lower (235kW for a 6.5sec 0-100km/h time), nonetheless so is pricing.

With conversions and tax, the Rear Wheel Pressure would possibly possibly perchance perchance sit shut to $100,000 in Australian bucks—providing a sturdy temptation for Tesla to slide the extra mile by, doubtlessly, pricing that clear honest below the LCT threshold.

Even with a doubtless set of $200,000, a Cyberbeast would not be the most costly automobile Tesla has sold in Australia. In 2017, the trace’s then-elephantine size SUV, the Model X, value $261,132 sooner than on-road costs in P100D clear ($325,725 adjusted for inflation).

Australian set points of $100K, $150K and $200K for the three Cybertruck trims (sooner than on-road costs) would imply that the ute became considerably more dear than even the dearest variations of the trace’s Model 3 sedan and Model Y midsize SUV.

For this reason, Drew became cautious relating to the Cybertruck’s overall gross sales quantity, agreeing that “in conserving with where the value level would sit” it woud be gleaming to pronounce that gross sales would be lower than Model 3 (17,094 in 2024) and Model Y (21,253 in 2024).

For comparability, the Australian distributor of the BYD Shark – which costs honest $57,900 sooner than on-road costs – has declared that it expects to promote spherical 10,000 devices of the disappear-in hybrid opt-up in 2025.