Instead of franchised dealerships, it relies on company-owned stores, usually placed in shopping malls. The high end retailer now has 121 stores in the US and Canada, and 200 Nordstrom Rack stores. The 400-square-foot display will include a Model X electric crossover and Tesla will offer test drives onsite. Tesla is now in the process of obtaining a sales license for its gallery in Nordstrom, according to Fast Company. Sears sold a version of Kaiser’s Henry J compact auto in its stores under the Allstate brand name in the early 1950s, for example.
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California does allow Tesla to sell cars directly to customers, so the sales license should be obtainable. Customers can get details of Tesla’s vehicles, but cannot order them at the galleries.
Tesla’s partnership with Nordstrom was spearheaded by the vehicle manufacturer’s North American sales vice president Ganesh Srivats, Engadget has learned.
Tesla now carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some states have dealerships laws that prevent automakers from selling cars directly.
Musk, chief executive of the Palo Alto-based vehicle company, disappointed some eager early adopters of the Model 3 by announcing that the Model 3 at its base price will not qualify for the free, long-distance charging available to the more expensive Teslas at the company’s nationwide supercharger network. Besides offering various products for female consumers, Nordstrom also sells various wares for men, and it looks like Tesla’s EV will be adding to this list.
Tesla spokeswoman Keely Sulprizio says the gallery will be open at least through the end of this year. To meet that goal, Tesla, which has just 215 storefronts globally, will need to expand 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.
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CEO Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla will aim to build 500,000 cars per year by 2018-rather than 2020 as originally planned.
