Tesla Motors is awaiting the decision of the city council to open a gallery in San Antonio to mark its presence locally
Tesla Motors is planning to open its first gallery in San Antonio, according to a report from News 4 San Antonio by Emily Baucum. News 4 unearthed a proposal in the city’s planning commission schedule.
Showroom, not a dealership
The Model S maker wants city authorities to re-structure five acres off East Sonterra and Highway 281 for a showroom for its high-performing, high-end electric cars. If the company gets approval for the limited-service showrooms in North Central San Antonio, then customers will only be able to take a look at their favorite car and cannot inquire about the price or take a test drive.
According to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the location will be a showroom only and not a dealership. As per Texas law, manufacturers such as Tesla are not allowed to sell cars directly to customers, which means enthusiasts can come and see the car but cannot drive off with the new car.
The Elon Musk-led company is known for its reputation of keeping all major developments largely under the hood as some of the top local leaders were unaware of the plans until News 4 started asking questions.
Tesla’s presence good for the city
Last year the Palo Alto-based company did not choose the city for its so-called gigafactory. Unlike the battery factory, the showroom would not bring many jobs in the town, but it would still be a mark that Tesla is very much available locally.
Judge Wolff believe the showroom holds economic potential for the region. “I think it’s positive to have their showroom in San Antonio,” Judge Wolff says. “Shows that San Antonio is up with technology, blends with other efforts that we’re doing with solar power.”
Wolff further says the opening of the showroom indicates that better things are to come in the future, and recently Tesla’s CEO said that he would like to build a test track for a high speed rail system, most likely in Texas. Judge Wolff tells News 4 that he supports the showroom and expects it as a start from Tesla Motors for a larger presence.
