Tesla Won’t Close Most Stores After All
Tesla Inc. has reversed its plan to shut down most of its retail stores in the U.S. and switch to online-only sales.
#hybrid
Tesla Inc. has reversed its plan to shut down most of its retail stores in the U.S. and switch to online-only sales.
Last month the electric car company said it would cut costs by shutting down almost all physical stores. Now it plans to shutter only about half the outlets, all of which are company-owned.
Because leaving more stores open will affect projected operating costs, Tesla says it will raise retail prices an average 3% worldwide next week. The price hike—roughly $2,000—will apply to all models except for the company’s $35,000 base Model 3.
Tesla emphasizes that all sales of its vehicles worldwide will continue to be processed online, even for buyers who visit a physical store to see and test-drive a car. The company says stores will carry a small inventory for customers who want to take immediate delivery from the available stock.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Engineering the 2019 Jeep Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee, which was launched in its current manifestation as a model year 2014 vehicle, and which has just undergone a major refresh for MY 2019, is nothing if not a solid success.
-
Electric Motors for Aero and Auto
Rolls-Royce—the manufacturer of aircraft engines, not the one that makes high-end vehicles with four wheels—is working with another British company, YASA, on the development of the ACCEL, an electric airplane.
-
Electrically Improving Powertrains
The good news about downsized powertrains is that they can provide greatly improved fuel efficiency compared to larger engines. The not-so-good news for many drivers of cars with these smaller engines under the hood is that they can lack performance.