TEMECULA: Tesla Motors offering test drives at Promenade
Tesla Motors, the high-profile purveyor of electric sports cars, is bringing its whisper-quiet rides to Temecula.
The company announced on its website this week that it will be hosting a test drive event at The Promenade mall from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 5 for its Model S.
Telsa touts the Model S as the world's 'first premium electric sedan' that 'sets the standard for 21st-century performance.'
Car & Driver was less effusive in its praise, dinging the car for not being able to get from Chicago to Detroit in a single charge, but the magazine did say 'it's the electric to buy when you're buying electric.'
Tesla's website notes that test drives are available to 'prospective customers,' and appointments will be confirmed by a Tesla representative.
'Your driving session will be 15 minutes long over a predetermined route designed to highlight the capabilities of Model S,' the company states. 'A Tesla Product Specialist will accompany all drives to ensure you optimize your time in Model S. You may bring up to three guests to ride in the back during your drive.'
A Model S retails for $70,000 to $90,000, depending on motor and trim specs.
For those curious about how sales tax is calculated by Tesla sales, which are typically brokered directly with the company as opposed to dealerships, Palo Alto-based spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson said sales tax is always dictated by the county.
'Temecula receives the county sales tax, as they would with any automotive transaction,' she said in email.
As for the possibility of opening a Tesla storefront here, Georgeson said the test drive event is one of dozens that take place across the country each month.
'While we are continually exploring new locations that support our mission to educate and engage people about electric vehicles, I cannot speak to plans to open a store in Temecula,' she said.
Eric Gosch, co-CEO of the Hemet-based Gosch Auto Group, said Thursday he's not sure why Tesla needs to take its show on the road when it staffs showrooms throughout Southern California.
'It's unncessary ... if people want to buy a Tesla they should go to a Tesla store,' Gosch said.
According to the company's website, Tesla has showrooms in tony locales such as La Jolla, Cathedral City, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach.
Gosch Auto Group - which operates multiple dealerships in Southwest Riverside County - has used the mall for used-car tent sales in the past, but it is prohibited from selling new cars in outside markets because of territorial rights issues.
This system, Gosch said, was put in place to make sure customers had places where they could take their vehicle for onsite service, and it prevents multiple dealerships from selling the same make of car from clustering in one area.
'We're not a traveling circus,' he said. 'We're in the community ... we're one of the largest community supporters in every community.'
Tesla has attempted to circumvent this long-established system by selling directly to customers, but it has been rebuffed in some states, which have banned this sort of sales approach in favor of the dealership model.
Contact the writer: aclaverie@pe.com, 951-368-9698, @PE_Claverie
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