What is happening with the Tesla Model 3 in Australia?

Deliveries of Tesla Model 3 were halted in early January 2024 in Australia, to fix a very specific issue.

There are almost as many automotive regulations as there are different markets. Thus, a very specific rule in Australia prohibits, during the correction process, the importation of the Model 3 from Tesla.

This issue concerns the upper anchor point for the child and baby car seat attachment. All five-passenger vehicles must have, individually, this anchoring point (at least two in the rear, for example in Europe). However, the central seat on the new version of the Model 3 no longer has one in the central seat. Moving from three points in the back, behind the headrest, to just two.

Is the Model 3 simple 4-seater?

Tesla has not announced the quick solution it will implement to resolve this issue, which significantly impacts its operations in Australia. One possible solution could be homologating the Model 3 as a simple 4-seater, but the American manufacturer seems to be ruling this out. Is this despite the admission that installing three child seats in the back is impossible in reality due to their size? The narrowness of the central seat is a fact…

Tesla assures that the problem will be fixed in about a week, likely by reverting to the previous specification. A recall to bring already delivered vehicles into compliance will follow later.

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