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In May, Elon Musk announced plans to build 500,000 Teslas a year. It was a brazen move, especially when you consider that the company has only about 200 stores globally. How are they going to sell all those cars with so little dealerships?
The plan is to bypass the dealership model and have everyone embrace a direct-to-customer sales format. Tesla will take a big step in that direction on Saturday when it opens its first "gallery" inside the Nordstrom at The Grove, reports Fast Company. A Model X SUV will be put on display, and if you're feeling enticed you can ask for an on-site Tesla employee to take you on a test-drive, reports Engadget. According to Fortune the showroom will be situated in the men's department, which, we guess, makes more sense than having it in the "pillows and throws" aisle.
You won't be allowed to bust out your Amex for a down payment, however; Tesla doesn't have a sales license for the Nordstrom gallery yet, but the company is pushing hard to make it happen. If you express a desire to buy a Model X, you'll be referred to a nearby Tesla dealership, or to the company website, where you can put in an order.
The gallery is just an experiment, but the intentions are clear: Elon Musk wants to let you buy a Tesla wherever you go. If all goes well, you may see a Tesla gallery at any of the other Nordstrom locations. As noted by Fast Company, Tesla's success is dependent on expanding "its infrastructure for selling and delivering cars to potential buyers, many of whom are unfamiliar with the company's still-nascent brand and all-electric vehicle technology."
Will we see a future in which you can saunter into a Costo, buy a chicken bake, and walk out with a fully-loaded Model S with a $120,000 price tag? If Musk has his way, that may very well be a possibility.
