Tesla Motors will open seven regional sales and service centers in upcoming weeks, establishing a coast-to-coast network in North America and a solid retail footprint in Europe.
Stores in New York, Seattle and Chicago will open in late June, followed by Miami. The new additions will complement Tesla’s flagship stores in Northern and Southern California, which opened a year ago. Tesla is also scouting locations in Washington, D.C., and Toronto.
Tesla’s first European store will open in London later this month, followed by Munich and Monaco.
“We are rethinking almost every aspect of the automobile – from the powertrain to the customer experience, both online and in our stores,” says Tesla CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk.
Store locations and hours are updated online. The showrooms are centrally located to allow quick access to nearby highways and suburbs, giving prospective owners an opportunity to experience Tesla’s best-in-class performance under a range of driving conditions, the company reports.
The Tesla Roadster beats nearly every other car for acceleration yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius. With an EPA-estimated range of 244 miles per charge, it costs roughly $4 to refuel and can be completely recharged in as little as 3.5 hours.
Teslas consume no gasoline, never need routine oil changes and require far less maintenance than internal combustion engine vehicles or complicated hybrids. They also qualify for numerous incentives. New Jersey, Arizona and Washington, for instance, waive sales and use taxes on EVs, resulting in an immediate savings of $10,000 or more compared to a conventional car.
Combined with a $7,500 US federal tax credit and lower cost of electricity vs. gasoline, the Roadster has a lifetime cost advantage of at least $25,000 over a gas-powered sports car with a similar sticker price.
