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The Tesla Cybertruck has cleared a major hurdle for its Australian launch, with the brand in Australia having now been briefed on the changes required for the unique electric ute to be approved for sale.
That's the word from Tesla's Country Director for Australia and New Zealand Thom Drew, who insisted the stainless-steel EV has "never been off the table", and who has received a briefing on what changes will be required for Australian Design Rule (ADR) approval.
"Locally, me and the team – and we've been garnering feedback from the public as well – are very, very interested in the product. It has never been off the table, to be clear. It's always been on the roadmap," he said.
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"Cybertruck is a conversation that we're having ongoing. I can't tell you a timeline, or if or when, but we're advocating for it as much as we can."
Tesla in Australia has also taken the next big step to a local Cybertruck launch, with the team seeking a briefing on what changes would be required to meets Australian ADR requirements.
And the changes, Drew said, are minimal, with the executive quick to assure that an Australian Cybertruck would be almost indistinguishable from an American version.
"I have had a briefing on what needs to change. It's not what people think. I know there's been comments previously made, for example...pedestrian safety and some of the things that need to change.
"Australian design rules are different for this classification of vehicle, and the vehicle you see today, it would look the same. Maybe a few minor changes, but as far as the core structure of the vehicle, it's not dramatically different.
"It's really just the harmonisation to the ADRs. There are small changes to bumper widths, some external lighting requirements, and obviously left- to right-hand drive, and just a few engineering changes like that, but fundamentally the same vehicle."
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The Tesla Cybertruck has been a notoriously slow seller in its home market of the USA, with reports of manufacturing lines being diverted to other products as production has outstripped demand and a backlog of unsold Cybertrucks builds.
Drew is confident the controversial EV would find enough buyers in Australia to justify its import. Asked if he was confident the Cybertruck would work here, Drew replied: "Absolutely".
"We've been doing a 12-month-plus roadshow with the vehicle around the country, and the feedback that we're getting directly from Australian and Kiwi consumers is they want it desperately," he said.
"Look, it's never gonna be a high-volume product for us. We need to be realistic – with its price point and size and all that – but there is a market here that is very keen for the product."
