According to recent reports, a ship carrying Tesla electric cars has been denied entry into Australia and forced to return to Shanghai after stink bugs were discovered onboard. This incident comes at a time when Tesla is expected to achieve its best annual sales record.
Authorities in Australia deemed the presence of stink bugs, including the yellow spotted variety, as a significant threat to the country’s agriculture and wildlife. As a result, the shipping vessel, known as the Glovis Caravel, has been directed to return to China for thorough cleaning to eliminate the pests.
While it is unclear how many vehicles are currently onboard the ship, Australian customers who were eagerly awaiting their Tesla vehicles have been informed of the situation. Tesla Australia has assured affected customers that they are exploring all available options to expedite delivery, which may include reassigning orders to vehicles from the next batch of production.
This is not the first time that the Glovis Caravel has faced such an issue. In 2018, the vessel was ordered to leave New Zealand waters after close to 600 stink bugs, 12 of them alive, were discovered while anchored near Auckland.
Despite this setback, Tesla remains on track to achieve record-breaking sales in Australia and globally. The company is expected to deliver almost 50,000 vehicles in Australia alone in 2023, and worldwide deliveries are projected to surpass 1.8 million, up from 1.3 million the previous year.
Tesla is scheduled to announce its global delivery results on January 2, 2024, with Australian data to follow on January 4.
As authorities work to address the biosecurity risks posed by the stink bug infestation, Tesla customers will have to wait patiently for their highly anticipated electric vehicles to arrive.