Cybertruck confirmed for NZ tour
Tesla’s controversial Cybertruck appears to be one step closer to a launch in Australasia, with the brand commencing a tour of Australia last week, and a tour of New Zealand set to follow.
Reports of a left-hand drive Cybertruck being spotted on Australian roads began to circulate on Friday, with the model seen parked up at various locations in Sydney.
Tesla then confirmed on its regional Instagram account and in a memo sent to Tesla owners that the Cybertruck will be visiting various Tesla locations across Australia and New Zealand as part of a ‘Cybertruck Tour Down Under’.
The Cybertruck has been touring numerous right-hand drive countries in recent months, with Drive reporting it has recently visited Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. This won’t be the first time a Cybertruck has been seen in New Zealand, with the model having undertaken cold-weather testing in Cardrona. It will be the first time the model will be seen mingling on city streets.
The move is the strongest indication that Tesla is serious about launching the angular electric pick-up in Australasia in right-hand drive, although there are plenty of hurdles the nameplate will need to overcome.
The Cybertruck had been promoted on Tesla’s local websites as being available for New Zealand customers, with customers able to pay a deposit for the model online.
But that ability was dropped months ago, amid reports that the model was slated to only be produced in left-hand drive and was set to skip over several big markets, like Europe.
The Cybertruck still features on the Tesla New Zealand website. But the only prompt for customers is to sign up to a newsletter for updates. Last year, Tesla confirmed it would stop producing its Model S and Model X in right-hand drive, leaving just the Model 3 and Model Y. Barring the necessity of right-hand drive, the Cybertruck’s biggest hurdle to Australasian entry is the Australian Design Rules (ADR) framework.
These represent regulations that all new vehicles sold in Australia must abide by. Numerous pundits have claimed that the Cybertruck is unlikely to be able to meet ADRs, although it is unclear exactly what about the pick-up is most likely to trip it up.
Some experts, like Australasian New
Car Assessment Programme chief executive James Goodwin, have flagged safety concerns for the model, noting not only the Cybertruck’s size but also the rigidity of its stainless steel bodywork, its pointed front end, and its small crumple zones.
“It’s got a fairly harsh front and not a whole lot of areas that would provide some give if there was a strike with a pedestrian,” said Goodwin back in 2019. “We do both head form and leg form impacts … the [frontal] rake would look like it’s not very forgiving in terms of legs,” he added.
“We’ve got a concern that Tesla is very interested in the occupants of the vehicle, but it can’t ignore the other road users as well. [...] ANCAP’s protocols are well known and what we would expect is that a vehicle should be able to protect the occupants of the vehicle as well as those other road users … including pedestrians and cyclists.”
News.com.au reported that the Cybertruck may not need to meet ADR requirements to make it to Australian showrooms. It reported that the Australian Federal Government makes concessions to allow the Cybertruck to go on sale even if it doesn’t meet ADR, on the basis of encouraging more brands to bring their EVs to the region.