Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars pulled from sale in Australia

The return of the Tesla Model S and Model X electric vehicles to Australia hangs under a cloud, after pre-orders were paused overnight – more than two years after the updated models were unveiled in the US.

The Tesla Australia website was updated overnight to remove the ability to place a circa-$400 refundable pre-order – pending pricing and delivery timing – replaced instead by a “Get Updates” button that invites customers to join a mailing list.

The Model S and Model X remain available to order in other right-hand-drive markets ­– where, like Australia, deliveries have yet to begin – such as the UK.

It is unclear if Tesla no longer plans to sell the Model S sedan and Model X SUV in Australia – or if it is a temporary change in preparation for an official announcement of final prices and delivery dates.

The facelifted Tesla Model S and Model X were unveiled for the US in January 2021, ahead of deliveries from the middle of the same year – but in the two years since, production of right-hand-drive vehicles has not commenced.

Pre-orders for both vehicles in Australia opened alongside the US unveiling, with an estimated delivery date of “late 2022” – but prices and delivery times were pulled from the website in late 2021, though there remained the ability to place a refundable pre-order on a vehicle.

The last Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles delivered in Australia joined local roads at the end of 2020, in pre-facelifted form.

Deliveries of the updated models commenced for left-hand-drive European markets – as well as China – earlier this year, but there remained no timeline for Australian buyers who had pre-ordered a vehicle.

If Tesla does no longer plan to sell the Model S and Model X in Australia, it would owe refunds to an undisclosed number of Australian customers who have placed pre-orders over the past two years.

If this is the case, it’s unclear when the decision was made to not sell the Model S and Model X in Australia, and why pre-orders were kept open after that date.

Tesla Australia does not respond to media enquiries.