No more orders or reservations being taken in Australia for Tesla’s flagship electric sedan and SUV
Aussies hoping to get themselves into a new Tesla Model S or Model X have been dealt another blow this week with the removal of the ‘order now’ tab for the two electric vehicles on the Tesla Australia website.
The quiet changeover comes 15 months after local pricing and arrival times of both the Model S luxury sedan and Model X SUV were scrubbed from Tesla’s local website, however up until now interested customers had still been able to place an order with a $350 deposit.
Instead of the ‘order now’ tab, prospective Model S and Model X customers are simply asked to express their interest and subscribe for updates using a generic form, as is the case with the Tesla Cybertruck.
It appears right-hand drive production of the latest Model S and Model X is not yet underway, with Tesla UK still taking what it classes as ‘pre-orders’ – including a £100 “full refundable deposit” – on both models, with no concrete ETA.
Tesla Australia has not yet responded to carsales’ questions on Model S and X availability for our market.
However, a showroom we contacted said there was still no timeline on the new Model S or Model X and so it didn’t seem appropriate to be taking orders.
There’s no word yet on whether customers who have paid the $350 deposit will be refunded in light of this latest development or if they’ll simply maintain their place in the queue, which is the same situation faced by keen buyers of the Cybertruck that’s due to enter production later this year.
Before the Tesla EVs were pulled from sale in Australia, prices for the Model S started at $129,990 plus on-road costs and topped out at $186,990 for the high-performance Plaid (before options), while the Model X ranged from $149,990 to $174,990 plus ORCs.
There’s no change for the top-selling Chinese-built Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, which are both available for order via the local website and have an estimated delivery time of April-to-May (Model 3) or April-to-June (Model Y).
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Keyword: Tesla Model S and Model X no longer ‘on sale’