In its typically low-key style, electric vehicle maker Tesla has expanded its presence in Delaware.
Tesla quietly opened a service center last year at the former home of Tires Sales and Service location at 600 First State Boulevard, in Stanton. The Delaware center is opened by appointment only.
Tesla opened a showroom-gallery in Christiana Mall more than a year ago but has stopped short of building a full dealership or offering dealer franchises. At one point, Tesla indicated it would close the small display areas but later revised that decision.
The company, which started out offering cars in the high five to the low six figures has moved into the popular compact sedan market with Tesla 3, which typically runs in the $40,000-plus range.
The company struggled in ramping up production at its northern California plant, but has since moved into the ranks of larger automakers. Tesla’s product pipeline includes a pickup truck and a crossover vehicle in the 2020s.
Tesla has a sales and service operation in Devon, PA.
Tesla founder Elon Musk has been making news in Delaware through Chancery Court. The outspoken Musk has been in hot water with shareholders over claims that included the company going private and a merger of Tesla with solar panel installer and maker Solar City.
Members of the board, other than Musk, have agreed to a settlement in the Solar City case before Chancery Court.
Sales of electric vehicles remain modest in Delaware, with the Department of Motor vehicles reporting nearly 1,000 registrations.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control last summer estimated that about 1,600 electrics are on the state’s roads.
