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Electric carmaker Tesla continues to drive sales with digital signage showrooms

May 24, 2012

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors recently announced it is growing its network of retail stores across the U.S. in preparation for deliveries of Model S, which it is billing as "the world's first premium electric sedan."And the car company is continuing to deploy digital signage to help move its automobiles.

Tesla is opening its first U.S. store of the year at The Westchester shopping center in White Plains, New York, according to the announcement, and Tesla Westchester, the first store of its kind on the East Coast, will feature a hands-on exhibit of the Model S drivetrain, a "Design Studio" where customers can customizetheir own Model S, and an interactive touchscreen experience designed to engage and inform customers about Tesla's advanced technology and the benefits of driving electric. The store will open with four Model S Betas on display, a record number of vehicles at a Tesla store opening.

"Our sales strategy is very different from the rest of the automotive industry — we put our stores in high foot-traffic locations so we can tell as many people as possible about Tesla's incredible cars," said George Blankenship, Tesla's vice president of worldwide sales and ownership experience, in the announcement. "Opening our own stores allows us to ensure consumers interested in learning more about Tesla will receive an amazing customer experience from the moment they walk through the door."

Tesla Westchester will be the 22nd company-owned store worldwide. The company will open four additional stores this summer at 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif.; Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Washington Square in Portland, Ore.; and on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, Fla. These stores will expand Tesla's "new retail experience" to both new and existing markets.

Last year, Tesla opened a showroom in San Jose, Calif., that used digital signage to help sell its high-end Roadster electric sports car, with customers able to custom-build their own version of the car via an interactive monitor that allowed shoppers to choose the paint color, design the leather interior and even see the car "on the road" in various locations. Another display in the showroom featured short videos showing current Tesla owners talking about the experience of being a Roadster owner. Another display showed videos featuring three-dimensional graphics detailing Tesla's technology, from the power train to regenerative braking.

Read more about digital signage and the customer experience.