Factory Delivery

[Jkam]

I've done factory delivery at Mercedes, BMW and Renault. We picked the car up at the factory, drove it around Europe for a few weeks and delivered it to a designated port where it was then shipped to where we live.

I'm wondering if Tesla is going to have a similar plan. The Bay Area is kind of my 2nd home, and I wouldn't mind picking up the car at Fremont, driving it around California for a few weeks and then shipping back to my real home. The biggest thing is getting a temporary license plate/registration in order to drive the car around California and avoid paying the California sales tax. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to ship it directly to my real home.

Has anyone heard if Tesla has come up with a factory delivery program?

[Norbert]

Not yet, but Tesla reps were saying they are thinking about doing that.

[Mycroft]

They would have to either ge an amendment to the current law or figure a way around it. Currently, if you take possession of a car in California, even if you don't register it there, the seller is required to collect sales tax on it.

[WhiteKnight]

They would have to either ge an amendment to the current law or figure a way around it. Currently, if you take possession of a car in California, even if you don't register it there, the seller is required to collect sales tax on it.

Sounds like you need to take delivery in Reno!

[Robert.Boston]

Perhaps one could "rent" the car at Fremont, then "return" it at a Tesla store of your choosing. Then you could buy it from that store, deducting the rental charge from the purchase price.

[jcstp]

Perhaps one could "rent" the car at Fremont, then "return" it at a Tesla store of your choosing. Then you could buy it from that store, deducting the rental charge from the purchase price.

Maybe using factory-plates?

[AnOutsider]

All sounds like much more hassle than it may be worth to a small, budding car company. I'd imagine if they offered factory delivery, it would basically consist of going to the factory to receive your car (whether it's right off the line and to much fanfare is another issue). I don't see them juggling registrations and helping to arrange for reshipping after you've driven it around.

I could be wrong of course, but if they DO offer all of that off the bat, then they must be feeling extremely confident in every other aspect of the launch.

[ckessel]

Yea, if anything gets done, it'll be some sort of temporary waiver passed by the state legislature. Google around and this question has been asked a bunch of times about an out of state person buying a car in CA, so if there were hoops to jump through to negate it, they'd be well known.

[Lloyd]

Maybe using factory-plates?

Factory plates can only be used with an employee of Tesla on board. This is called, "an extended test drive" !

[clea]

Factory plates can only be used with an employee of Tesla on board. This is called, "an extended test drive" !

they could "hire" you as a volunteer to move the car to the destination tesla store ...