Tesla Opens Santana Row Showroom

Following its Washington D.C. and Milan stores opened back in February, Tesla Motors today inaugurated a new showroom in the Santana Row retail district of San Jose, California. Tesla stores already feature coffee bars, wifi access and Internet stations, friendly and informed product specialists, and an open service bay so people can watch technicians at work.

But the company brags the newly opened store will offer a unique car buying experience, thanks to an interactive platform that allows customers to explore Tesla’s technology, learn about owning an electric car, and configure their car in the Design Studio.

The Santana Row store, located at 333 Santana Row, Suite 1035, is Tesla’s 18th company-owned store. In preparation for Model S, Tesla is opening stores and service locations in the most convenient regions for its current and growing customer base. In addition, the Tesla Mobile Service Rangers travel to customers’ homes to perform annual inspections, firmware upgrades and other services.

“Purchasing a Tesla should be a delightful experience,” saidTesla CEO Elon Musk. “In a Tesla store EVs will not compete for floor space with traditional combustion cars. People will feel welcome to walk in and learn about the many advantages of our technology.”

The new store’s location ensures plenty of foot traffic while the layout engages the customer through a series of hands-on interactive touchscreen experiences:

• Tesla Stories features Tesla owners’ experiences of living with a Roadster.
• Tesla Innovations explore the world’s most advanced electric powertrain in the Tesla Roadster and the engineering ingenuity of Model S.
• The Design Studio combines the tactile and digital, enabling customers to configure their own Roadster, which they can then share on Facebook or email to a friend. From there, customers can seamlessly complete the purchase.