Tesla might have canceled right-hand drive production of the Model S and Model X for Australian orders, but the UK gets a windfall in the form of Plaid models in LHD.
Tesla has cancelled the right-hand-drive Model S and Model X due to the mechanical and logistical complexity added by the conversion.
A representative for the American manufacturer says that offering the two models solely as left-hookers for the foreseeable future allows it to ramp up production and improve quality more effectively.
Current reservation orders in Australia have been canceled, with either a refund on the deposit or a $3000 credit towards purchasing a Model Y or Model 3.
Tesla has also canceled right-hand drive Model S and Model X models in the UK, however, Tesla has launched events running between 28 May and 30 June so that Model S and X reservation holders can test drive the left-hookers in London.
The move to offering LHD cars in the UK means customers can finally place an order for the 780kW Plaid models, having previously been limited to the standard dual-motor cars since their 2021 reveal.
Tesla has yet to fully scale production of the updated Model S and Model X, as it has for their smaller siblings.
Last year, the firm built 1,298,434 Model 3s and Ys, compared with just 71,177 examples of the S and X.
During the first quarter of 2023, Tesla built 421,371 Model 3s and Ys, and 19,437 Model Ss and Xs.