Tesla opening three new dealerships in US

Tesla is expanding its dealership network to three new locations across the country. The new Tesla dealerships will be in Bellevue WA; Chicago IL; and Newport Beach CA. This will lay the groundwork for the company to sell the Tesla Model S, the first electric premium sedan.

Tesla dealerships are designed to demonstrate the benefits of driving electric vehicles, as well as Tesla’s advanced technology. The Tesla dealerships include hands-on exhibits, interactive touch-screen experiences, and a design center where customers can configure their own Tesla vehicles.

On November 5th, Tesla Bellevue Square opened at the luxury shopping center in Bellevue, WA. The store will feature a display of Model S prototypes and drivetrain components.

Tesla will be opening Chicago’s Oakbrook Center on November 12th, and at Newport Beach, California’s well-known Fashion Island on November 18th.

The new dealerships increase Tesla's presence in areas where service center are already maintaining Tesla vehicles, making the three locations ideal.

“Tesla is reinventing the way people buy cars, with stores designed to engage and inform prospective customers," said Tesla CEO and Co-founder Elon Musk. "Located in high foot-traffic locations, Tesla stores are designed to introduce people to Tesla’s advanced electric car technology and show the benefits of driving electric. Tesla stores lay the groundwork for the distribution of Model S today and increasingly affordable electric vehicles tomorrow.”

The new Model S sedan seats five adults and two children. You can order three different battery pack options, 160, 230 or 300 mile range. Recharging is convenient as it can use any conventional outlet. Since it has no internal combustion engine or bulky transmission, the Model S has a roomy interior and cargo space. It even has a trunk under the hood. The interior features a 17-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity for streaming radio, web browsing and navigation. The Model S already has 6,000 reservations from eager buyers. Deliveries to customer should start sometime in 2012.

Tesla is one of a handful of companies focused purely on developing electric vehicles. The company was started in 2003 and the name is derived from the famed electrical engineer, genius, and Edison rival, Nikola Tesla. Tesla is trying to make electric vehicles more desirable and viable for the car buying public. It controls the whole process from conception and vehicle design to customer delivery, thus creating a very high standard for product quality and customer satisfaction. Tesla has been selling the Roadster, a 2-seater supercar that can accelerate to 0-60mph in under 4 seconds, since 2008. They have built 1,800 Roadsters. Tesla is also a supplier for electric vehicle powertrain components to the industry. The company supplies batteries and powertrains to Toyota and Daimler for their electric vehicles.