UK customers can’t get right-hand-drive versions of these Teslas

Tesla has stopped building right-hand-drive examples of two of its popular electric cars and won’t offer them to UK drivers for the ‘foreseeable future’, the brand has said.

The US auto firm has confirmed to customers that it will delay outputs of the £95,000 Model S saloons and £100,000 Model X SUVs with the steering wheel on the right.

Customers that have already paid deposits on these cars – some of them placed over two years ago – have today received an email notifying them that their orders cannot be completed.

Instead, they have been given the option of taking a left-hand-drive Model S or X, a £2,000 contribution towards switching to a smaller Model 3 or Model Y or cancelling their order entirely and receiving the full refund on their deposit.

According to reports in Autocar, Tesla has pressed pause of right-hand-drive Model S and Model X outputs due to ‘the mechanical and logistical complexity’ of the conversion.

A quick scan of Tesla’s UK website reveals that all versions of the Model S and Model X are ‘only available as left hand drive’, though the brand’s remaining two EVs – the Model Y and Model 3 built in China – are still being sold in right-hand drive form.

Currently, the cheapest Model S is priced from £95,480 and the Model X rings in from £99,930, despite having the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car for UK roads.

The brand, fronted by CEO and co-founder Elon Musk, has told Autocar that by pausing outputs of right-hand-drive models for the foreseeable future will allow it to ramp up production and ‘improve quality more effectively’.

Existing customers agreeing to accept a left-hand-drive car will receive three years of free access to the Tesla Supercharger network as an incentive to continue with their purchase. 

The decision will come as a huge blow to customers who have waited patiently to get their hands on the company’s two largest cars, especially the 1,019bhp Model S Plaid, which offers the biggest performance figures of any Tesla brought to market yet. 

Customers that have already paid deposits on these £100k EVs – some of them placed over two years ago – have today received an email notifying them that their orders cannot be completed

Customers have been given the option of taking a left-hand-drive Model S or X, a £2,000 contribution towards switching to a smaller Model 3 or Model Y or cancelling their order entirely and receiving the full refund on their deposit

At the time of publishing, the Model S Plaid is priced in the UK from £114,930 and the Model X Plaid costing from £124,780. 

In a bid to encourage motorists to push on with their orders, Tesla UK is due to host events in London between 28 May and 30 June so that Model S and X reservation holders can test drive a car with the steering wheel on the left.

However, this is likely to prove unpopular, with left-hand-drive vehicles far less practical.

Resale values of these models will also be far lower than right-hand-drive examples, which is something potential customers will be desperate to avoid given the high retail prices and recent dramatic decline in second-hand Tesla values.  

This is Money has contacted Tesla UK for comment. 

Currently, the cheapest Model S is priced from £95,480 and the Model X (pictured) rings in from £99,930

Customers are being pushed to order LHD versions of the two cars, despite them being far less practical and less valuable when it comes time to sell

Tesla has come under fire in recent months after slashing the price of its Model 3 and Model Y in January in a bid to drum up more interest.

The company has reduced pricing at various dates since.

With demand for used electric cars going into reverse since the end of last year and the price of new Teslas declining, owners are understandably frustrated to see thousands of pounds being wiped from the value of their motors.