Tesla launching factory-owned stores for new roadster

Tesla will be selling its upcoming electric roadster through factory-owned stores rather than franchised dealerships with the aim to create the atmosphere of a trendy Apple Store instead of the staid image of a regular dealer. Automotive News reports that the first store will be opened on Santa Monica Boulevard in LA by November, with other stores to open soon after in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Miami.

The news comes from Tesla's vice president of marketing Darryl Siry, who also mentioned that after the initial group of stores are opened, even more will be opened across the US in places such as San Diego, Seattle, Denver and Boston. Tesla is expecting to sell up to 1,200 units per year of the UK-built roadster.

Siry explains that the $92,000 Tesla roadster cannot be sold in a conventional manner. "A traditional dealer would spend his time apologizing for the car's shortcomings rather than talking up the benefits”, he said. “We are going to design our own sales experience from scratch."

Though this might seem like a lot of locations for a niche model like the electric roadster, building the retail presence is an important step in ensuring the success of Tesla’s next model, an electric sedan code-named WhiteStar.