Tesla Moves NYC Showroom to Trendier Digs

Tesla Inc. has moved its Manhattan showroom from Chelsea to a larger site in the city’s tony Meatpacking District, which is known for trendy restaurants, nightclubs and high-end stores.

The new 10,900-sq-ft store more than doubles the size of the Chelsea location. In addition to electric vehicles, The larger facility is showcasing Tesla’s home battery storage systems and solar panels—the first time the company has sold the three product lines alongside each other.

Tesla is able to sell directly to customers at its five current locations in New York, and the carmaker is lobbying the state to add more stores. In Michigan and several other states, Tesla can display vehicles at showrooms but must take orders online due to laws that require carmakers to sell vehicles only through independent dealers.

The Meatpacking outlet initially is displaying Tesla’s Model X crossover and Model S sedan, with the new Model 3 car due to be added early next year. Customers can configure the vehicles on large touchscreen displays, arrange for test drives and place orders with salespeople.

Experts also are on hand to answer questions about solar panels and batteries. Tesla, which acquired SolarCity Corp. for $2 billion late last year, is integrating the home solar panel maker’s operations into its own. SolarCity previously used a door-to-door sales model.

Earlier this year Tesla and Panasonic Corp. launched production of the photovoltaic solar panels at a 1.2-million-sq.-ft plant in Buffalo, N.Y. The panels are designed for use in conjunction with Tesla’s Powerwall and Powerpack battery backup modules for homes and small businesses.