Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) will open its newest showroom Sept. 30 in the heart of Paris, just in time for the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Tesla’s 14th worldwide store, at 41 Avenue Kléber, is walking distance to the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées, with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The Paris store will serve Tesla owners throughout France, Belgium and the Netherlands – and offer test drives to prospective customers visiting the capital for work or pleasure.
“The Paris store provides an immediate, highly visible presence in one of Europe’s most important cities,” said George Blankenship, Tesla’s Vice President of Design and Store Development. “We want to create stylish, inviting places to buy cars and learn about 21st century vehicle technology.”
Blankenship, who joined Tesla earlier this year, is best known as the architect of Apple’s brand-building retail strategy. Blankenship and other executives will elaborate on Tesla’s exciting retail plans at an Oct. 1 news conference at the Paris Motor Show, including plans for Tokyo and Washington, DC.
Tesla is revolutionizing automobile ownership – starting at the point of purchase. Unlike traditional car dealerships, Tesla stores are designed to be welcoming destinations where people can buy cars and learn about Tesla’s industry-leading technology.
Tesla is also improving the ownership experience through its mobile service technicians, who provide “house calls” and can perform annual inspections, software upgrades and other services at owners’ homes and offices. The unique program gives customers peace of mind and unparalleled convenience – whether or not they live near a showroom.
France, one of Tesla’s top markets in Europe, has aggressively promoted renewable energy development, particularly wind and solar power. The government wants renewable to account for 20 percent of the country’s total energy consumption by 2020. Roadster owners get a waiver of €2.500 in traditional administrative fees and a €5.000 cash rebate.
Roadster owners can park and charge for free at hundreds of charging stations nationwide – one of the world’s most extensive charging networks. But Roadster owners typically just plug their cars into conventional outlets: The Roadster comes with an extension cord that plugs into any outlet, similar to laptops or mobile phones. No special infrastructure is needed.
The Roadster accelerates faster than other sports car in its price class yet has zero tailpipe emissions. It consumes no petroleum and plugs into conventional sockets – at owners’ homes or office parking lots, hotels, resorts and shopping malls. The Roadster, which gets 340 kms per charge, is the only sports car that can be fully or partially recharged by renewable energy.