Tesla Launches 1st Remote Test Drive Hub Outside US As Part Of Virtual Sales Boost

Tesla Inc TSLA has commenced its first remote test drive hub in Europe, in Sweden.

What Happened: “Our first remote test drive hub in Europe is now open in Örebro, Sweden,” Tesla Europe tweeted.

Once you book an appointment online, you can go to the hub, call up Tesla and have them remotely unlock the vehicle for you and walk you through the basics, Tesla explained. The test drive is for half an hour and the prospective customer can drop the vehicle back at the hub.

Tesla started offering touchless test drives during the pandemic in 2020. Though it employed existing showrooms, it cut down contact between sales staff and the customer.

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This later moved to remote test drives at parking lots where customers would be assigned to virtual sales advisors, reported Electrek. However, this strategy has been mostly U.S.-centric until now, the report added.

Remote test driving helps the EV maker drop showrooms in malls and city centers. Tesla also currently has a direct-to-customer sales approach with no dealership involvement.

Price Action: Shares of Tesla closed 1.7% higher at $183.25 on Monday and gained marginally in extended trading, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

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