Tesla Motors opens its largest North American dealership in Montreal | Alternative Energy | Forums

with sim saying how expensive the gas is there, I can see why

Tesla Motors is hoping a new location in Montreal will help it increase the number of its all-electric vehicles on our roads.

The 45,000 square foot dealership on Ferrier St., officially inaugurated last week, replaces a much smaller location in Laval that was kind of a Band-Aid solution for the market,

And the Montreal dealership, previously housing a Chrysler showroom, becomes the company’s largest of the 60 Tesla-operated locations in North America. But that distinction may not stick for long as the company continues to expand its network of dealerships, said Tesla communications manager Will Nicholas.

Jerome Guillen, senior vice-president of global sales and service for Tesla, said the growing interest in the brand in the region prompted the move to a larger location.

“We saw the customer interest increase and increase, and we were just ready to step up. I think we owed it to our customers to be able to have a location to serve them properly,” he said.

“Montreal is a very important location for us.”

While there are only about 340 Tesla Model S sedans on Quebec roads right now — out of about 1,500 in Canada — the company is hopeful that will grow to the thousands in a few years, Nicholas said during a tour of the facility last week.

“We see significant potential, especially with our new product offerings, here in Quebec and Montreal,” he said. “And we need to plan for the future. We certainly want to be able to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of cars that we anticipate having on the road in the next few years.”

One distinctive feature of the Tesla dealership is that several parking spots are reserved for electric vehicles, complete with charging stations, including a pair of Tesla superchargers.

A DC supercharger, which is exclusive to Tesla models, provides up to 135 kilowatts of direct current (DC) to charge the cars. Guillen says they have tried to install them at rest areas or coffee shops so that people can conveniently, with a 20-minute charge, add 300 kilometres of range to the battery.

“And it is completely free for the customers, so you can drive for free long distances, which is a pretty interesting thing,” Guillen said.

Guillen says Tesla hopes to eventually have dozens of superchargers set up across Quebec, but the process is taking longer than expected. When established, the supercharger network will make trips across the province — as well as into Ontario and the United States — a breeze, as well as making purchasing a Tesla more attractive to some.

“I wish we could go faster (in installing superchargers), but getting the permits for construction and the connection to the electricity (network) seems to be taking a little long,” he said. “But we will make sure all the main roads are covered.”

Guillen said customer input will help Tesla, based in Palo Alto, Calif., select the best locations for their superchargers.

And it is clear Tesla is listening to their customers, who for a long time asked for an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S. That version — the P85D — which uses two electric motors instead of one, went on sale Oct. 9, with first deliveries taking place this week. Next year, Tesla will introduce the Model X SUV, followed by the Model 3, a smaller, less expensive model later on.

The stylish Model S does not come cheap, however, with prices starting at around $79,000 and going all the way to $150,000, all depending on which battery pack and options you choose. With the larger 85 kWh battery, the Model S has a range of close to 500 kilometres, meaning drivers are not likely to experience “range anxiety” when behind the wheel.

There are other electric cars on the market — which are less expensive ‑ but none have the range of the Model S.

A Nissan LEAF, for example, tops out at just under $40,000, with the same being true for the Ford Focus Electric. Other electric vehicles on sale in Canada include the Mitsubishi iMiev, Kia Soule electric and BMW i3.

Tesla’s supercharger network near Montreal

Tesla superchargers are now located at sites in eastern Toronto and in Cornwall as well as at the Montreal dealership.

And in the U.S., there are superchargers in Albany, about mid-way between Montreal and New York City. There is also an array of other charging stations for electric vehicles in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.

In the coming weeks and months, Tesla will roll our superchargers along the following routes:

•   Montreal to Toronto

•   Montreal to Quebec City

•   Toronto to North Bay

•   Toronto to the U.S. via Detroit

You can see the current network on the Tesla website: http://www.teslamoto.....com/findus

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