Tesla deliveries to Australia suspended until July

Tesla customers will have to wait a while longer for their Model 3s, with the electric vehicle manufacturer facing extended delivery delays to Australia.

Despite Tesla enjoying a strong opening quarter to the year where it shifted 4417 units of its popular Model 3, local registrations dropped to just 52 throughout April, moving the model from the most popular electric vehicle in Australia to ninth on the EV sales chart.

Local Tesla tracking service VedaPrime believes a meeting at Tesla last week resulted in the Australian arm of the brand contacting customers to inform them of pending delays, with a number of responders saying they were told not to expect any deliveries throughout the rest of the second quarter (April to June inclusive).

Ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns in Shanghai are most likely affecting production at Tesla's Chinese plant, the home of Australian-bound Model 3s and the upcoming Model Y.

Just last year, the Model 3's local sales were recorded for the first time, with the 12,094 units sold in Australia throughout 2021 – well above its Model S and Model X siblings (211 and 292 respectively).

In March, Wheels reported extended delivery times for the Model 3 had blown out to between five and seven months alongside a price increase for the range, although the latest news about further delays would mean customers ordering the EV now would be lucky to receive their delivery before 2023.

Wheels has contacted Tesla for comment, but has not yet received an answer at the time of publication.