For the last six months of 2013, Tesla's retail expansion includes the addition of four stores, increasing the total from 41 at the end of the second quarter to around 45 by the end of the year.
The company appears to be placing a greater emphasis on its service centres; by the end of the second quarter, they stood at 47, and are expected to reach 75 by the end of 2013. A greater number of retail stores and service centres, along with an expanded network of supercharger stations, are part of the infrastructure buildup that the company needs to achieve greater mass appeal.
Tesla's first European customers in Norway, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland took delivery of their cars in August, with th UK and Sweden deliveries to start in Spring 2014.
Tesla designers are working on the Model X, set to debut in late 2014. The Model X will be priced much lower than the Model S, with hopes of attracting a larger audience and increasing sales volume for the automaker.
Has the recent reports of the third fire hurt Tesla. In spite of a possible US government enquiry, I doubt it.
Can Tesla maintain its momentum? I think they probably can. I hope so.
