Tesla has opened a new kind of store that appears to showcase its manufacturing processes, presumably in a bid to attract more potential customers in the highly competitive Chinese market.
Called the “Giga Laboratory,” the new retail concept recently opened in China and looks like an immaculate, sci-fi location, with all-white cars and accessories put on display, as well as several production-related props such as assembly robots and EV components.
A half-finished Model 3 body hangs from the ceiling on some wires, as if it were being manufactured on the spot, and perfectly lit booths act like pedestals for electric motors, inverters, and other components that have been developed and produced in-house.
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It all looks rather futuristic and presumably has the role of convincing people in China that the American EV maker can hold its own against local automotive giants like BYD, which sold five times as many so-called new energy vehicles (pure-electric cars and plug-in hybrids) in the first five months of this year compared to Tesla, which sold about 200,000 units in China.
The Austin-based car brand announced the opening of the new “Giga Laboratory” on its official Weibo account (translated into English:
The country’s first “Tesla GIGA Laboratory” made a stunning debut. Tesla’s “Most Beautiful Store in Chengdu” unveiled the mystery: An immersive experience of the magic of “building a car in 45 seconds”. Meet up with friends “Chat and take a break”.
Back in 2019, the Elon Musk-led firm signaled a move from physical stores to online sales, but as it turns out, Tesla is still relying heavily on physical locations to sell its products, seeing how the number of retail and service facilities has more than doubled to approximately 1,000 locations around the world over the last four years.
Furthermore, in some states like New York where car manufacturers aren’t allowed to sell vehicles directly to customers, Tesla managed to strike a deal with the Oneida Indian Nation to build a store in upstate New York. This way, the carmaker isn’t required to sell its products through a third-party dealership.
As always, we’d like to know what you think about this latest development on Tesla’s efforts to boost its sales in China, so head over to the comments section below to give us your thoughts.
