Tesla Stores

[FreqFlyer]

So where will customers pick up their cars? Service Centers? Information centers?

Will one still see Teslas being displayed in Malls, such as in San Antonio's North Star mall?

 

[jerry33]

So where will customers pick up their cars? Service Centers? Information centers?

Will one still see Teslas being displayed in Malls, such as in San Antonio's North Star mall?

They are picked up at the service centres now or delivered to your door if you are far enough away. That won't change.

 

[ElectricLee]

1. Place 1 Top of the line Model 3 in most malls (kiosk style) in the world. NO Store front, easy leasing structure.
1.5 Bonus, add a mini kiosk 42 inch TV sideways with Tesla Solar and Tesla Powerwall info.
2. Hire one person with an LTE iPad Pro.
3. Families can sit and touch the car all day long.
4. The gallery staff can collect contact information, but NOT sell. So all States should allow this, I think...
5. The people are instructed on how to order online.

Cheap and simple.

 

[Amp Dup]

I'm just jumping in here but here's what happened. I met an acquaintance at the bar and he mentioned that his accountant told him he should buy a car pretty soon. He said the accountant told him he could buy a Lamborghini if he wanted. He is currently driving a Chrysler mini van and was thinking of a hybrid. I asked him if he thought of a Tesla. He said he'd heard of them but didn't know much about them. I asked if he wanted to go for a ride. He said "Sure" so we went for a short spin and I told him as much as I could. He seemed impressed but I don't know how serious he is. I questioned whether he really needed an X. He's older and single and the X is pretty big. Then I was stumped. I couldn't see a way to have him check out an S or a 3. His exposure needed to be live and in person and Tesla doesn't do that anymore. He'll probably end up with a hybrid.

 

[rhumbliner]

Kudos to you for giving him a demo ride! I bet in OC there a lot of S owners who’d be willing to do the same. Maybe if we had a forum section asking for volunteers the response would be quite large. Or perhaps Tesla could add a webpage where prospective buyers could hook up with current owners. Tell your friend the next time he’s in Jackson Hole I’d be happy to give him a test ride.

 

[Off_Oil]

As a current Volt owner and high mileage driver, I'm keeping an eye out for what I'd like to buy in the next 2 years. So as a perspective from a current non-owner, Tesla's killing the stores and test drives is, IMO, the stupidest thing they have done. I have no problem ordering on-line, however there is no way I'm buying a car that I can't sit in or drive. This would almost be akin to buying a house unseen. I don't want to have to bum a test drive from someone I don't know. I also don't want to deal with the hassles of a 7 day return when the car is connected to a loan. Therefore in my view, this decision was thought through very poorly, which creates concerns itself.

That said, according to today's reporting, Telsa has reversed course, which is a very good thing for their long term health.

 

[JRP3]

They never said they were killing all test drives or closing all stores.

 

[jerry33]

They never said they were killing all test drives or closing all stores.

Correct. They said reducing the number of test drives, closing low volume stores, and turning the ones in high traffic areas into galleries. However, everyone took that to mean no test drives, closing all stores. Not the same thing at all.

 

[rhumbliner]

... there is no way I'm buying a car that I can't sit in or drive. This would almost be akin to buying a house unseen.

I’ve done both. I’m not saying it’s the norm or even wise, but it’s worked fine for me.

 

[Bobbo8]

I’ve done both. I’m not saying it’s the norm or even wise, but it’s worked fine for me.

I got my Model 3 in Aug without ever seeing one or touching one. Had to travel 5 hours to get it. Couldn’t be happier with my M3. I had faith in Tesla and Elon that they would deliver on there promises of a game changing car. AND THEY DID! You would have to pry it from my cold dead hands to take it away!! I’m 75 and the M3 is the most fun I have had driving a car EVER!!

 

[Zeronet]

I love my model 3 long-range AWD. But I would never have spent much of what my annual salary used to be (back when I worked) on something I'd never seen, touched, or drove. Ordering on the internet was fantastic; and far simpler than the ridiculous hours of song-and-dance you have to go through buying with a dealer. But I have read that Tesla thinks most or its cars are sold without a test drive arranged at a store.

That is total BS. There are two groups out there. One has money, enough of it that they could spend a large amount on something they have never tested. A different younger group wants to do every transaction on the internet. But in my experience, these two groups consist mostly of different people. And that younger group that insists on doing everything on the internet rarely has $50,000 or so just sitting around to spend on a car that they have never driven.

The test drive I took in Phoenix, AZ, a 2 hour drive from my house, was fantastic. And the Tesla employee was a breath of fresh air from every car salesman I have ever dealt with. He only provided information, lots of it. And did not seem particularly interested in selling me something unless I wanted it. If Tesla has decided that that salesman was not responsible for selling me that car because I ordered it on the internet, they are seriously deluding themselves.

 

[Zeronet]

Beyond the cost of the Tesla, I forgot to mention the associated costs that I consider essential to the Tesla ecosystem. That is, the expansion of my solar array to accommodate free Tesla charging and the Tesla garage charger. And, of course you probably need to own your house to do that.

But I admit I am a zealot in this regard.

 

[JRP3]

You do understand that Tesla has not eliminated test drives, right?

 

[CarlK]

I will sit in the car to find out how I fit in there but I rarely do test drives. Matter of fact I will try avoid test drive even when salespeople are encouraging me to do so. In this internet age you can find out every detail of a car from those experts who drove a lot of different cars and owners who had the car for a while. The short test drive in a pretty anxious mode will not add any useful information other than perhaps to confuse things more. I do do exhaustive research and so far I've not regretted any of my decisions.

 

[Electroman]

The short test drive in a pretty anxious mode will not add any useful information other than perhaps to confuse things more

Agree. I am generally quite tense and more worried about ending up in a ding or a curb rash, that I rarely enjoy the test drives. And I hated the AP test drive. Luckily i didn't let that test drive cloud my decision as I have done extensive reading and watching videos on AP, that I knew that it was Gold. Thanks to TMC.

 

[jerry33]

Agree. I am generally quite tense and more worried about ending up in a ding or a curb rash, that I rarely enjoy the test drives. And I hated the AP test drive. Luckily i didn't let that test drive cloud my decision as I have done extensive reading and watching videos on AP, that I knew that it was Gold. Thanks to TMC.

Right. Mostly a test drive is to find out any particular concerns you might have. (For me it was how the car behaves in a parking lot.)

 

[Electroman]

For me it was about road noise..

 

[mikevbf]

For people who have never driven a Tesla, I would say for almost all it is huge. No matter how much you read other expert reviews, you don't get it until you're feathering the go and slow pedal up and down experiencing the responsiveness. The exhilaration of stomping the pedal down when getting on a highway or that ahha moment when you realize how much better regenerative braking goes way beyond logic. They are physical/emotional experiences. Even in the cornering, everything is different because of the low cog and frame stiffness which when combined with such better control of your speed is just awesome. For a gas car, I could get skipping the test drive sort of, but for someone who has never been in a Tesla? They gotta do it. Better yet, get the full experience by doing a multiple day test drive to get over the anxiety and put the car through its paces on roads you are familiar and comfortable on.

 

[jackbowers]

It's finally here, the Reno Tesla store! I've been watching this location ever since it was permitted a few months ago, but I wasn't sure if it was still going to happen after Elon's store-closing announcement. Just confirmed with one of the Reno service guys that it's a store and a service center. Soft opening is tomorrow; official opening is Monday. The location is in South Reno near Winco Foods. It faces 580/395 and is quite visible from the freeway.

 

[neroden]

Right. Mostly a test drive is to find out any particular concerns you might have. (For me it was how the car behaves in a parking lot.)

For me it was seat shape / comfort.