Tesla is Coming to Santana Row!

Tesla may not have been able to relocate their offices and factory to North San Jose as originally planned, but they will have a presence here. The word just got out that they are planning to build a "store" at Santana Row! Instead of using dealers and 3rd parties, they are planning to sell cars directly to consumers much like an Apple store. They already have 30 of these worldwide that are either open already or near opening, and the closest one right now is the original in Menlo Park.

I imagine the first car they will sell at the store will be the Model S (pictured below), a $56k all electric vehicle with up to a 300 mile battery, 0-60 of 5.6 seconds, a 17 inch LCD touchscreen, and seating for up to 7 people. These will start shipping in late 2012.

This year Tesla will also announce the Model X, which is a crossover version built on the same platform as the Model S. Eventually they will also release a Model C (~$30k compact or midsize electric car) and a new roadster to replace their current $100k+ speed demon--which may transform into a 4-seat convertible in it's second life. While I'm a huge advocate of Downtown San Jose, I think Tesla made the right choice with Santana Row. Now please excuse me while I check my couch for some spare change.