Elon Musk did not make a silent entrance into the world stage; his arrival in Australia is no different. Starting with Tesla electric cars and continuing with satellite internet, Elon Musk became known as the founder of the non-profit organisation Starlink and the largest grid-enabled battery in the country. Non-traditional businesses have made a clear and increasingly prominent impact on Australian industry, infrastructure and policy.
Though certain Australians are still wary of his outgoing international character, the practical impact of his activities, especially in clean energy, digital connection, and geographical integration, is profoundly experienced. With Australia trying to change its economy into a decarbonised and tech-forward one, it is impossible to overlook Musk’s impact.
Tesla and the Australian EV Market
In Australia, Tesla has become synonymous with electric vehicles (EVs). Although EV adoption in the country remains behind Europe and some Asian territories, Tesla is the most prominent EV brand, with the Model 3 and Model Y being among the country’s most selling electric vehicles.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) estimated that more than 8 per cent of new cars were EVs in early 2025, and Tesla held a large portion of that market. Federal and state government incentives, such as tax breaks, registration savings and rebates, have also led to adoption. For example, New South Wales has up to 3,000 dollars knocked off eligible EVs, and Queensland supports home charging infrastructure, too.
Tesla has also put up Supercharger stations through systems in major cities and along regional motorways, which increases the convenience of long-distance EV journeys. Nevertheless, critics also note that Tesla’s exclusive charging system will restrict the ability of other EV brands to develop the long-term interoperability of charging systems and plan public charging infrastructure.
Although its world sales and reputation have recently decreased due to reputational issues arising from Musk’s political beliefs, Tesla continues to be a contender in Australia’s ambitious efforts to decarbonise the transport sector.
Starlink and Regional Connectivity
The thing that has changed the most with Musk’s help is Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet. Starlink has become the saviour of the country’s regions and remote areas, where large distances and low-density populations make standard broadband rollouts expensive and spotty.
Starlink is already available in small farms, remote Aboriginal settlements, outback hospitals and mining camps, with more than 200,000 Australian subscribers. To many customers, the service delivers high-speed, low-latency internet that was inaccessible through the NBN Sky Muster satellite or fixed wireless services.
With services such as remote Northern Territory and Western Australia, telehealth consultations, online education, and digital farm management, Starlink makes it possible. These services help shrink the urban-rural digital divide, which is an important factor.
In 2025, Telstra also collaborated with Starlink to introduce satellite-to-mobile SMS in remote areas, which is projected to be extended to voice and data applications. This is a massive breakthrough in emergency communication in terms of digital inclusion.
Nonetheless, there are specific regulatory issues. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has cautioned Australia Starlink about customer service shortages, and there are also concerns about internet sovereignty and dependence on an internet backbone owned by a foreign entity.
Battery Technology and Energy Storage
The Hornsdale Power Reserve, popularly known as the Tesla Big Battery-built in Australia in 2017, was perhaps Elon Musk s ticket to fame in the country. The 150MW/ 193.5MWh lithium-ion battery, constructed in collaboration with Neoen and the South Australian government, became the worldwide reference to renewable energy storage.
The work was achieved within less than 100 days after a tweet war between Musk and then-premier Jay Weatherill went viral. Since its inception, it has stabilised the power grid of the state and can overcome the dependence on fossil fuel peaking plants. and also proved the practical interest of establishing large-scale battery storage in high-renewable conditions. Since then, other Tesla battery installations have occurred, such as the projects in Victoria and Queensland, where governments want to find a balance between solar and wind production and grid stability.
The deployments help facilitate larger energy change initiatives, and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) predicts that at least 63GW of new storage will be needed by 2050. The arrival of Tesla has seen Australia regarded as the test bed of the new generation of clean tech.
Public and Political Response
Australian media and political layers have been reacting to the ventures of Musk in various ways. On the one hand, he is considered as a person of vision as his technologies stimulate the process of decarbonisation and enhance the connectivity. Both the major parties have commended his activity in resolving the issue of energy reliability in Australia and internet service in rural areas.
Conversely, the personal brand of Musk such as provocative tweets and open support of far-right views has been criticised. By the beginning of 2025, Tesla had received consumer backlash when Musk political opinions were connected with hate speech and extremism. The Courier-Mail and ABC News have reported springing notice of cancellations by some of the buyers in Queensland, and a decline in sales.
Nevertheless, not all Australians are prepared to separate Musk and functionality of his products. Farmers, small businesses and emergency responders in rural Australia have found Starlink especially useful, frequently brushing aside the controversial face of its creator.
Controversies and Challenges
Although the companies run by Musk have been innovative, some challenges exist:
- Monopoly risks: Majority in satellite broadband usage by Starlink also creates an issue of excessive dependency on the use of one operator.
- Corporate transparency: Starlink participants have been complaining of unclarity of billing, data policy, and poor access to customer service in Australia.
- Environmental concerns: Environmental organizations have criticized Tesla because of the footprint of its battery manufacture and supply chains and concern over the origin of its raw materials.
- Market disruption: Critics maintain that Tesla has a cutthroat competition and closed ecosystems that kill competition in the electric power and electrical vehicle industries.
These concerns have led to reviewing of policies and discussion in the industry, however, did not stop the raging takeover of Musk technology in the Australian systems.
Conclusion: A Complex Legacy in the Making
The presence of Musk in Australia is extensive, diverse, and is increasing. Changing everything about transport and internet access to introducing a novel energy-storage system, his firms are working towards a more united and green future of the country. However, his brand comes with complication, it is innovation mixed with controversy.
The critical task confronting Australian policymakers is how to get simultaneously the benefits of adoption and of accountability: to enable innovation but not to relinquish control. With the faster pace of Australia in terms of climate and connectivity agendas, there is no doubt that the technologies established by Musk will stay on the center stage, regardless of whether the business magnate is universally accepted.
Elon Musk enterprises have had rich grounds in a country, which is characterized by a large geography and having high energy ambitions. It is not the question whether his influence will be lasting or not–but how Australia will influence it to the furtherance of the common weal.
