Tesla aims to bring the all-electric Cybertruck to a brand new market in what the company believes will be a massive advantage.

Tesla currently offers the Cybertruck in three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Although there are some countries where the pickup has been seen, it is not available worldwide, primarily due to its size.

Tesla Cybertruck gets pushback in Europe, increasing need for ‘international’ version

However, Tesla plans to expand Cybertruck into other markets. The company has suggested revising the design to make it smaller and more compact for some markets like Europe and China. At the same time, other regions would get the same, massive truck available for sale in North America.

One of the regions it wants to bring the Cybertruck to is Australia. This comes straight from the source, as Tesla’s Country Director for both Australia and New Zealand, Thom Drew, said the automaker is currently “in conversations” to bring the Cybertruck to the land down under for one distinct reason: there is nothing quite like it on the market for Australian buyers currently.

He said (via Chasing Cars):

“The only [product] we’re missing at the moment that we really want here is the Cybertruck, and we are in conversations trying to make that happen. That’s something we are trying to influence. There is still nothing here that is a real workhorse, full EV that has the range and capability that Cybertruck does. We think there is a real gap in the market that still needs to be filled and we would love to be the ones to do it first.”

The need for a large, workhorse pickup seems to be something that Tesla has recognized in Australia, as its market has adopted EVs, but not of this size or use case.

He continued:

“We want it here. Part of the tour was to get fresh eyes onto it, get a true perception of what people think about it and what the potential demand might be…we have a couple more that have just arrived. We are really gunning for feedback, helping us to hopefully bring it to market.”

Drew has already pushed heavily for Cybertruck to make its way to Australia, but it is going to take some work. Tesla needs to see enough demand for the vehicle in the country before it will commit to a widespread effort to sell the truck.

It would be big for Tesla to start offering the Cybertruck in a region outside of North America, especially as the company has fans all across the globe.

An abbreviated version of the pickup could be just the thing if this first effort in Australia does not end successfully, although Australia does not have the same space and size issue that other markets have.

Nevertheless, Cybertruck would be a pleasant offering for those in the country who have the need for utilitarian applications and prefer an electric powertrain.

Tesla China and BYD competition is reportedly tipping toward the Chinese automaker. Many assume it is due to the Elon Musk hate seemingly spreading across the globe. However, Musk might not be that much of a factor. Plus, Tesla China might just be playing a different game.

CPCA (China’s Passenger Car Association) data shows that Tesla Giga Shanghai’s deliveries have dipped. Last month, Tesla’s shipments dropped by 49% to 30,688 vehicles, around the same levels as July 2022, when the American carmaker delivered 28,217 units.

Tesla China’s sales records are constantly compared to the country’s biggest NEV maker, BYD. While Tesla’s market share in China has been evening out, BYD’s has steadily risen.

However, it must be noted that Tesla only sells two fully electric vehicles in China. In contrast, BYD’s lineup is extensive and has varying price ranges. The Chinese automaker also offers local customers fully electric and hybrid offerings. Not to mention, BYD is a home-grown brand in China.

Tesla’s Model Y Transition

Tesla Giga Shanghai is currently retooling to prepare for the new Model Y “Juniper” production. The company is retooling multiple factories in different regions across the globe for the new Model Y, which would have impacted Tesla’s recent sales.

For some people, Tesla’s dip in sales in China and other countries is a direct result of Elon Musk’s recent political activities. However, Tesla’s sales in South Korea and the United Kingdom say otherwise. The old Tesla Model Y topped South Korea’s import sales last month. Meanwhile, the Model 3 and Model Y were the second and third best-selling cars in the UK in February–after the Mini Cooper.

Tesla’s robust sales in South Korea and the UK hint that the company’s current sales dip is not permanent and Elon Musk’s political activities will not weigh the EV automaker down in the long term.

In addition, car sales might not be Tesla’s bread and butter in the future. While Tesla’s automotive business currently makes up a big chunk of the company’s financials, its stock price has always reflected its potential as a tech company more. So in the long run, comparing Tesla to BYD would be inaccurate.

Last Summer, Tesla landed a $5 million contract with the City of Baltimore for a fleet of electric vehicles for the local government. However, Mayor Brandon Scott decided to pause that investment in September after the City “decided to go in a different direction.”

This is according to John Riggin, spokesman for the city’s Department of General Services. Riggin confirmed that the contract with Tesla has not been fulfilled, and Baltimore is going with other options for the time being:

“No Tesla units have been ordered, and none are in the City’s fleet.”

It now seems that the contract, which was set to be run until 2027, is not really a typical “contract” in the sense of the word. Riggin said the city is not obligated to spend the money for vehicles from Tesla, and that it is evaluating offerings from a variety of OEMs, including Ford and General Motors.

Tesla chosen over Ford for $5 million Baltimore City EV fleet

Riggin said the value of the contract is more of a ceiling and not necessarily an obligation to spend the committed amount in full.

The contract has not been canceled officially, but City Comptroller Bill Henry said to the Baltimore Sun that it has gone back to purchasing Mustang Mach-Es from Ford, the vehicle that was snubbed for Teslas back in July when things were initially decided.

The timing of the pause is interesting, and it does not seem to have anything to do with CEO Elon Musk’s direct involvement with the Trump administration, although the EV maker’s frontman was already vocalizing his distaste for the Democratic White House run by the Biden Administration.

Baltimore has a citywide goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, and has used EVs in its fleet for several years to reach that goal. It plans to electrify the city vehicle fleet by 2030.