California-based electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors cut the ribbon on a new dealership in London. Located in the high-rent Knightsbridge district, the new showroom will be Tesla's flagship European store.The only Tesla in production at the moment is the Tesla Roadster, which will have a base price in the U.K. of £94,000, tax inclusive. Deliveries of the 250-unit Signature Edition will hopefully begin this summer, although the company had previously planned on delivering the special edition months ago. Right-hand drive units have been announced for 2010.
"We expect the London store to dramatically increase our brand identity throughout the continent, and with right hand drive models now due at the beginning of next year, the UK market will provide a solid foundation on which to build this," said Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Tesla also has plans for a new, all-electric sedan. Dubbed the Tesla Model S, the mass-produced vehicle is expected to have a normal amount of cargo space while advancing on the Roadster's 240-mile range.
Tesla's 5,000 square foot London locale will offer free parking and free vehicle charging for Tesla customers. The company is quick to point out that new car buyers will receive a car that is exempt from the city's congestion charge.
Despite questions over Tesla's financial state, including the brief-but-sudden shuttering of their facilities last year, 1,300 Roadsters have already been ordered in Europe. These orders are being placed despite near-constant production delays, including the Signature Edition's rescheduled European delivery. The company also plans to introduce facilities in Monaco, Munich, and Zurich. Four more stores are also planned
