More than a year after Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk raised the possibility of shuttering its stores and selling only online, the California electric vehicle and clean energy company is planning to expand its retail presence.
Electrek reported Tesla has a strategy to grow in North America and overseas as it expects to achieve massive growth in the second half of the year.
While Tesla sales from January through June were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the auto manufacturer said it has maintained its 2020 targets and expects to deliver twice as many vehicles in the second half of the year as it did in the first, the report said.
Based on sources and new listings, Electrek revealed several new retail locations: Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Texas where the firm already has a service center but is looking to add a gallery in the city; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Smithtown, New York as Tesla expands on Long Island.
In addition, Barron’s reported Tesla is also adding new locations in Canada: in Laval, Québec across the river from Montreal; and in Ottawa, where it already has a service center.
It is also planning to debut a store in Singapore.
Expansion to China comes on the heels of Tesla’s success of the Chinese-built Model 3 at Gigafactory Shanghai that the car maker said comes with the option of dual motor all-wheel drive, 20-inch performance wheels, lowered suspension for better control in all weather conditions and a carbon fiber spoiler that promises to improve stability at high speeds, allowing it to go from zero to 60 mph in as little as 3.2 seconds.
In addition, Barron’s reported Tesla has its eyes set on France.
Europe has been a tough market to break into given that electric vehicle sales are dominated by Renault and Peugeot, domestic automakers.
Last month, CNN reported Tesla delivered 90,650 cars to customers during the second quarter (Q2), down 5 percent from a year ago, but less than the 30 percent declines or more reported by other automakers.
In comparison to the first quarter (Q1), Tesla’s sales increased from 88,400 vehicles.
Still, production fell 20 percent from Q1, as Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, was shuttered for a few months to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
At the time, Musk objected to the orders to remain closed, calling it “fascist” in a call with investors in April. Tesla filed suit to get the factory reopened in May.
