Electric vehicle giant Tesla suddenly removed the “Custom Order” option for the Model S and X from its Australian website. Now, interested buyers can only receive updates about the automaker’s flagship cars.
The move raised concerns regarding the Model S and X’s return to Australia, which was already over two years after the refreshed models’ US launch.
Tesla removes the $400 refundable pre-order function
As mentioned, Tesla apparently updated its Australian online configurator overnight to replace the $400 refundable pre-order option with a “Get Updates” button, which urges interested buyers to register on a mailing list.
Drive noted that Model S and Model X cars are still being launched to other Right-Hand-Drive markets.
The sudden changes in Tesla’s website sparked doubts about the automaker’s plans to sell its flagship sedan and SUV in Australia. Nonetheless, the move may also imply that Tesla is prepping to finally disclose the vehicles’ official delivery schedules and prices.
Would Tesla cancel the launch of Model S and X in Australia?
In retrospect, Tesla launched the facelifted Model S and X in the US in January 2021, with plans to start deliveries by the middle of the same year. However, right-hand-drive variants have not begun in the two years since then, Drive stated.
At the same time as the US launch, Tesla accepted pre-orders for both models in Australia, expecting deliveries to start by late 2022. However, it withdrew the prices and delivery times from its website in late 2021. Nonetheless, it did not remove the refundable pre-order option.
Notably, the last Model S and X units that arrived in Australia were in pre-facelifted form. They hit the local roads at the end of 2020, per the report.
Meanwhile, Tesla started deliveries for the updated models for left-hand-drive markets in Europe and China in early 2023. Still, there was no delivery date for Australian pre-order holders.
All that said, an unspecified number of Australian pre-order holders over the past two years would be entitled to refunds if Tesla decides not to continue launching the Model S and X in Australia.
See Also:
- Australian Tesla Model S customers disappointed with long waits
- MG is considering a Tesla Model Y rival for Australia
- Tesla Model 3 is Australia’s third-best-selling vehicle
- Tesla Model Y to enter Australia and New Zealand
- Used Tesla Model 3 are selling for $91,000 in Australia
It is also worth noting that the Fremont plant in Northern California is the only factory where Tesla produces the Model S and Model X cars. Teslarati reports that they are both “low-volume,” which only accounts for less than 5% of Tesla’s average quarterly production.
