Tesla is still working toward have a showroom and service center in San Antonio, according to Teslarati. It seems the California-based electric vehicle maker strongly wishes to mark its presence in the region as this is its third attempt at setting up a facility in the second-largest city in Texas.
Tesla makes its third attempt
Texas has long been trying to force Tesla to sell its cars using a third-party dealership. The EV maker filed a permit with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, indicating that it will renovate the office space that a cyber-security firm was using previously and will spend about $250,000 for it, reports Autoblog.
Tesla plans to begin the renovations as soon as November and hopes that by the end of the year, it will get the job completed. Once the work is finished, the EV firm will have a huge space of 12,000 square-feet for its office, says Autoblog. Previously, it made two unsuccessful attempts to develop a showroom in San Antonio. Environmental concerns about its car batteries are responsible for the failure of its last attempt.
There are seven Tesla showrooms in Texas, of which two are located in the Austin area, two are in Dallas, two are in Houston, and one is in Fort Worth. There will be a showroom and service center in the San Antonio facility, but no sales will be allowed, the reason being that the EV firm is barred from selling vehicles directly to the public without the involvement of a third-party dealership.
Michigan turns down Tesla
Tesla’s bid to open retail stores in Michigan was turned down last week. This serves as yet another message to the automaker that it is not welcome in the state. So the Michigander interested in buying a Model S or Model X will have to get it from Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus or Indianapolis, where the Palo-Alto based company operates its galleries, says USA Today.
The Big 3 automakers are all based in Michigan, but Tesla has made its place among the most-watched automakers because of the success it has achieved. Tesla’s long-range electric cars have contributed to that success. Just as Apple sells its products directly to consumers without a third-party dealer, Tesla also wants to sell its high-end battery-powered cars to consumers.
