How will Tesla sell their cars in the future?

[Mitrovic]

Tesla has one store in Switzereland and another "dependance".

Tesla has plans to offer several models in three years. How are they going to sell them? Tesla Stores owned by Tesla opening in every major city, or are they going to work with dealerships?

[WhiteKnight]

100% company owned stores. no dealers.

[Mycroft]

Unless it ends up not working for some reason, I think they're going to stick with their Internet and Apple-type store plan.

If it were me, I would set up the maintenance shops in low cost, centralized suburbs, and use them to allow for more test drives and future inventory needs.

[Larry Chanin]

If it were me, I would set up the maintenance shops in low cost, centralized suburbs, and use them to allow for more test drives and future inventory needs.

Hi Mycroft,

I think that they are headed in that direction. Here in Florida we have a Store/Service Center located in an industrial park in Dania Beach near two interstate highways. We were told that the Store (sales) functions are being relocated to a high traffic Miami Beach location and the Dania Beach location is being expanded to be exclusively a maintenance shop.

Larry

[tdelta1000]

Hi Mycroft,

I think that they are headed in that direction. Here in Florida we have a Store/Service Center located in an industrial park in Dania Beach near two interstate highways. We were told that the Store (sales) functions are being relocated to a high traffic Miami Beach location and the Dania Beach location is being expanded to be exclusively a maintenance shop.

Larry

Now that's some interesting news that TM is going to open a Miami Beach sales location.

[NigelM]

Now that's some interesting news that TM is going to open a Miami Beach sales location.

SW Florida would be much more interesting....

[Larry Chanin]

SW Florida would be much more interesting....

Hi Nigel,

You bet'cha.

And we were told that a new Store/Service center is planned for either the Tampa or Orlando area before year-end!

Larry

[Larry Chanin]

Returning to the original poster's question, "How will Tesla sell their cars in the future?", like others initially I expect there will be a rapid expansion of Tesla Stores in high traffic locations. Since a compelling and high performing electric vehicle is still a novelty, I believe that Tesla will continue to receive a lot of free advertising from the media, especially on-line media.

Until the mass market car is released in sufficient numbers, it would be unwise to resort to conventional advertising, i.e. TV, radio, print. There is no point in creating a large demand for vehicles that can't be satisfied by the limited early production rates.

After the Model S is released I believe early adopters, particularly organized car clubs, will represent a very powerful and influencial force in selling the car.

Larry

[gg_got_a_tesla]

If I were in GeorgeB's org at Tesla, I'd make a case for partnering with prominent high-tech firms such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Intel and Facebook (with their soon-to-be-minted-millionaires) along with traditional companies such as GE who'd probably be willing to organize EVents on their corporate campuses or in high-traffic, neutral venues to promote Tesla cars.

I'd rather some of the employees of these companies buy a Tesla rather than a Porsche; such events will definitely get free publicity on many tech news sites if not some mainstream publications such as Fortune, Forbes, etc.

[Mitrovic]

If they will sell cars only through their Tesla stores they would do it in a very different way then other car makers.
Up till now, Tesla is different, but also different in sale numbers.
If they are going to have 3 models at the prices they announced, then they will no more be different in sales numbers in Switzerland.
Are those numbers possible with only Tesla owned stores? In Switzerland alone, they would need to have around 10 stores. Who will finance that?