Tesla has announced that it will be closing all its stores over the next few months and instead will sell its vehicles online.
Stores that are in areas of higher footfall in the US will remain open as galleries and Tesla information centres – and money used on the shops will instead be used on improving services.
The American all-electric manufacturer will also be allowing customers to buy a new car over the phone – with Tesla saying it could take just one minute to do so. Currently, this method is only available to US customers, but will be rolled out globally later in the year.
The brand has also said that test driving cars will be easier than before, as drivers will have 1,000 miles or seven days to return the model they’ve bought for a full refund if it doesn’t impress them.
This change in strategy does mean, however, that vehicle pricing is down on average by six per cent. In conjunction with this change, Tesla has brought down the cost of the Model 3 down from $44,000 (approx. £33,200) to $35,000 (approx. £26,300).
Model 3s now available
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 1, 2019
Standard Range: 220mi, $35k
Standard Range Plus: 240mi, $37k
Mid Range: 264mi, $40k
Long Range: 325mi, $43k
Long Range AWD: 310mi, $47k
Performance AWD: 310mi, $58k, 0-60 mph in 3.2s!
https://t.co/RNnGdonjSr
(prices before incentives)
A new version of the 3 is also being introduced. Called the Standard Range Plus, it comes with 240 miles of range, a 140mph top speed and a 0-60mph time of 5.6 seconds – along with an improved specification.
Firmware updates have been announced as well, while the Long-Range rear-wheel drive Model 3 now has 325 miles of range. The Performance option now has a top speed of 162mph and an average of five per cent peak power has been implemented on every Model 3.