Deliveries of the heavily-updated 2024 Tesla Model 3 have been paused in Australia after a media report revealed that it falls foul of local motor-vehicle regulations.
It was revealed last week that Australian authorities were investigating the new Model 3 after it was discovered Tesla had removed access to a child-seat anchor point in the facelifted EV that is needed for it to comply with Australian Design Rules. The regulations require all five-seat passenger vehicles with three seatbelts in the rear to include a top-tether point for securing child seats in all three seating positions, Drive reports.
The previous Model 3 did have a top-tether point for the middle rear seat that could be accessed through a flap on the parcel shelf but the new car misses out.
Read: Facelifted 2024 Tesla Model 3 Launches In North America, Prices Remain Unchanged
It appears as though the 2024 Model 3 has been manufactured with a top-tether point but it is only accessible after removing the rear-seat headrests.
Writing on Facebook, Tesla Australia confirmed that deliveries of the new Model 3 would be paused from January 17 as it works to resolve the issue.
“We regret to inform you that deliveries of Model 3 in Australia will be paused from close of business 17 January 2024,” it wrote. “This pause is related to a technical compliance matter that we are working closely with the relevant authorities to resolve. We understand that these changes may lead to a delay in the delivery and want to assure you that resolving this matter is our top priority. We expect to recommence deliveries within the coming weeks. Our team will be in touch to provide further updates on your delivery as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.”
It remains unclear if Tesla will issue a recall of the 2024 Model 3s that it has delivered across Australia.
