3 ms·

Why should they stop delivering? Just sell the LHD version. I am currently on holiday in the UK with my LHD Model S. It is not a problem to drive it here. B

Why should they stop delivering? Just sell the LHD version. I am currently on holiday in the UK with my LHD Model S. It is not a problem to drive it here. Back home in Norway I drove a RHD drive Volvo 245 Estate for twelve years without any problem at all.

wongarsu 3y ago
I'd assume there are regulations in place that prevent that (outside of small-scale imports, collection cars etc). Otherwise lots of manufacturers would just sell LHD everywhere to make everything much simpler for them.
- gambiting 3y ago
  Nope. There is no such rule, at least not in the UK. There are several manufacturers of exotic cars that only sell LHD versions here because RHD version isn't worth developing. For example Polestar 1 can only be ordered as LHD in the UK, or perhaps more famously, the Bugatti Chiron. It's only a question of whether your clients want your car so much that they will put up with having the steering wheel on the "wrong" side. Volkswagen can't just start selling an LHD golf here simply because your regular buyer wouldn't buy one, not because the regulations forbid it.
  - skissane 3y ago
    I think UK has different rules because it is physically close to LHD markets, and motorists frequently travel to/from them with their vehicles. Whereas, in Australia, LHD vehicles are only street legal if they are either (a) historic (> 25 or 30 years old, depending on the state), or (b) you can demonstrate a genuine business need for some kind of highly specialised vehicle which is available only in LHD. There is far less demand for allowing LHD vehicles than in the UK, so the authorities can get away with being more stringent.
    - fomine3 3y ago
      LHD vehicle is totally allowed here in Japan, minor of people prefer it because it feels like a imported car (especially exotic or US car lovers). Though most buyers prefer RHD (and LHD is deal breaker) because it's reasonable and sane.
    - gambiting 3y ago
      Well yes, that makes sense - I know some people who spend a lot of time per year in France/Spain and they actually have UK-registered LHD vehicles because it's more convenient that way. Either way, about Australia - I came across this article about the Chiron and indeed, it sounds like Bugatti cannot sell it there because it wouldn't be compliant with the rules(but some people have imported them anyway as "special interest vehicles"). https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/bugatti-chiron-price-what-one-would-cost-in-australia-74173#:~:text=vehicles%20into%20Australia.-,While%20the%20Chiron%20doesn't%20comply%20with%20Australian%20Design%20Rules,brought%20in%20to%20the%20country https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/bugatti-chiron-price....
      - skissane 3y ago
        About the Bugatti Chiron, per my understanding of Australian law - you can legally import a brand-new one-but you can’t legally drive it on public roads. Well, put it away for 25-30 years, then suddenly it becomes old enough to be street legal. You can drive it on a private road (which legally means a road closed to the public). You can drive it on a racetrack. You can move it around on the back of a truck. You can even get a short-term permit to drive it on the public roads, but only to move it to a new permanent storage location, or to take it to the mechanics. If you are wealthy enough to afford one, you are wealthy enough to deal with all these complexities of owning one in Australia.
        gambiting 3y ago
        The article mentions exception for businesses which have a business need for a vehicle that is only available as LHD - I'm sure an argument can be made that exotic car rental company can only get an LHD Chiron because no RHD version is made, ergo, it should be legal to register for business use. I'd love to know how this was actually done.
Dobbs 3y ago
Because it is fine for a bit, but long term having a LHD vehicle in a RHD country (and vice-versa) is annoying and causes issues. I speak from experience having moved to a LHD country from a RHD country with a RHD vehicle.
chrismorgan 3y ago
They’re unsellable because you probably can’t register them. For example, you can’t in the state of Victoria: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/-/media/files/documents/safety-and-road-rules/vsi/vehicle-standards-information-18_v3_web_oct-2020.ashx https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/-/media/files/documents/safe...
rubenv 3y ago
Except all infrastructure is designed for it? Getting a ticket at the entry of a parking garage is a royal pain if you're on the wrong side of the car. Also: safety!
- kwhitefoot 3y ago
  > Getting a ticket at the entry of a parking garage is a royal pain Not in Norway any more, pretty much all of them use number plate recognition.
  - the_mitsuhiko 3y ago
    > Not in Norway any more, pretty much all of them use number plate recognition. Also on the way in? In Austria you still need to request a ticket on the way in, but it uses number place recognition on the way out. But also you need to pay with the ticket or on the pole on the way out with contactless, which again would be on the wrong side.
    - kwhitefoot 3y ago
      Yes on the way in and on the way out. They mostly give three hours free parking so if you are there for less than that you don't have to do anything. If you exceed that you go to a ticket machine, type in your registration number and pay for the extra time before you leave. In fact my favourite one will just send you the bill in the post if you forget, but they will charge small admin fee for that (not a fine). If you remember when you get home you can pay online.
- gambiting 3y ago
  Meh, I drove a LHD car in the UK for 5 years and it really wasn't an issue at all. In car parks you just unclip your seatbelt and reach out, unless you drive some monster truck it's really not a big deal(and I used to park in a multistorey carpark every day so had the routine well practiced). I'm not saying this is something for everyone, but it's definitely not a deal-breaker. Also, safety? In what sense? Because of overtaking? It's really not a huge deal - you just don't overtake unless you're absolutely sure you can see what you're doing. Same as in an RHD car.
boristhespider 3y ago
The Autocar article [0] says they are going to sell the LHD model in the UK [0]: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/tesla-cancels-right-hand-drive-model-s-and-model-x https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/tesla-cancels-ri...
lozenge 3y ago
How many do you think they would sell? Compared to the confusion of customers reaching the UK website and still finding LHD vehicles.
mensetmanusman 3y ago
agreed, they could also teach local shops how to mod and switch the vehicle around.

wongarsu 3y ago

I'd assume there are regulations in place that prevent that (outside of small-scale imports, collection cars etc). Otherwise lots of manufacturers would just sell LHD everywhere to make everything much simpler for them.

gambiting 3y ago
Nope. There is no such rule, at least not in the UK. There are several manufacturers of exotic cars that only sell LHD versions here because RHD version isn't worth developing. For example Polestar 1 can only be ordered as LHD in the UK, or perhaps more famously, the Bugatti Chiron. It's only a question of whether your clients want your car so much that they will put up with having the steering wheel on the "wrong" side. Volkswagen can't just start selling an LHD golf here simply because your regular buyer wouldn't buy one, not because the regulations forbid it.
- skissane 3y ago
  I think UK has different rules because it is physically close to LHD markets, and motorists frequently travel to/from them with their vehicles. Whereas, in Australia, LHD vehicles are only street legal if they are either (a) historic (> 25 or 30 years old, depending on the state), or (b) you can demonstrate a genuine business need for some kind of highly specialised vehicle which is available only in LHD. There is far less demand for allowing LHD vehicles than in the UK, so the authorities can get away with being more stringent.
  - fomine3 3y ago
    LHD vehicle is totally allowed here in Japan, minor of people prefer it because it feels like a imported car (especially exotic or US car lovers). Though most buyers prefer RHD (and LHD is deal breaker) because it's reasonable and sane.
  - gambiting 3y ago
    Well yes, that makes sense - I know some people who spend a lot of time per year in France/Spain and they actually have UK-registered LHD vehicles because it's more convenient that way. Either way, about Australia - I came across this article about the Chiron and indeed, it sounds like Bugatti cannot sell it there because it wouldn't be compliant with the rules(but some people have imported them anyway as "special interest vehicles"). https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/bugatti-chiron-price-what-one-would-cost-in-australia-74173#:~:text=vehicles%20into%20Australia.-,While%20the%20Chiron%20doesn't%20comply%20with%20Australian%20Design%20Rules,brought%20in%20to%20the%20country https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/bugatti-chiron-price....
    - skissane 3y ago
      About the Bugatti Chiron, per my understanding of Australian law - you can legally import a brand-new one-but you can’t legally drive it on public roads. Well, put it away for 25-30 years, then suddenly it becomes old enough to be street legal. You can drive it on a private road (which legally means a road closed to the public). You can drive it on a racetrack. You can move it around on the back of a truck. You can even get a short-term permit to drive it on the public roads, but only to move it to a new permanent storage location, or to take it to the mechanics. If you are wealthy enough to afford one, you are wealthy enough to deal with all these complexities of owning one in Australia.
      - gambiting 3y ago
        The article mentions exception for businesses which have a business need for a vehicle that is only available as LHD - I'm sure an argument can be made that exotic car rental company can only get an LHD Chiron because no RHD version is made, ergo, it should be legal to register for business use. I'd love to know how this was actually done.

Dobbs 3y ago

Because it is fine for a bit, but long term having a LHD vehicle in a RHD country (and vice-versa) is annoying and causes issues. I speak from experience having moved to a LHD country from a RHD country with a RHD vehicle.

chrismorgan 3y ago

They’re unsellable because you probably can’t register them. For example, you can’t in the state of Victoria: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/-/media/files/documents/safety-and-road-rules/vsi/vehicle-standards-information-18_v3_web_oct-2020.ashx https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/-/media/files/documents/safe...

rubenv 3y ago

Except all infrastructure is designed for it? Getting a ticket at the entry of a parking garage is a royal pain if you're on the wrong side of the car. Also: safety!

kwhitefoot 3y ago
> Getting a ticket at the entry of a parking garage is a royal pain Not in Norway any more, pretty much all of them use number plate recognition.
- the_mitsuhiko 3y ago
  > Not in Norway any more, pretty much all of them use number plate recognition. Also on the way in? In Austria you still need to request a ticket on the way in, but it uses number place recognition on the way out. But also you need to pay with the ticket or on the pole on the way out with contactless, which again would be on the wrong side.
  - kwhitefoot 3y ago
    Yes on the way in and on the way out. They mostly give three hours free parking so if you are there for less than that you don't have to do anything. If you exceed that you go to a ticket machine, type in your registration number and pay for the extra time before you leave. In fact my favourite one will just send you the bill in the post if you forget, but they will charge small admin fee for that (not a fine). If you remember when you get home you can pay online.
gambiting 3y ago
Meh, I drove a LHD car in the UK for 5 years and it really wasn't an issue at all. In car parks you just unclip your seatbelt and reach out, unless you drive some monster truck it's really not a big deal(and I used to park in a multistorey carpark every day so had the routine well practiced). I'm not saying this is something for everyone, but it's definitely not a deal-breaker. Also, safety? In what sense? Because of overtaking? It's really not a huge deal - you just don't overtake unless you're absolutely sure you can see what you're doing. Same as in an RHD car.

boristhespider 3y ago

The Autocar article [0] says they are going to sell the LHD model in the UK [0]: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/tesla-cancels-right-hand-drive-model-s-and-model-x https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/tesla-cancels-ri...

lozenge 3y ago

How many do you think they would sell? Compared to the confusion of customers reaching the UK website and still finding LHD vehicles.

mensetmanusman 3y ago

agreed, they could also teach local shops how to mod and switch the vehicle around.