Tesla opening store in Waverley Automall

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This article was published 08/01/2024 (668 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Get the charging stations ready — Tesla is opening its first Manitoba store in the Waverley Automall.

For now, the trailblazing electric vehicle maker’s building stands unmarked beside Crown Acura.

Tesla signed a lease in December, according to Ashok Dilawri, who is leasing out the space. Before then, Manitoba was the only province spanning British Columbia to Quebec without a Tesla shop.

If the Winnipeg location is like its peers, it’ll act as an information hub and service centre but won’t be a place to buy a ride. Customers buy online and pick up in store.

Until now, the closest Tesla store has been in Saskatoon. Manitobans could also purchase Teslas through Nott Autocorp in Winnipeg.

“I think it’s a good move for Tesla to come to the mall,” said Dilawri, the chief executive of Crown Automotive Group. “It can only augment the mall.”

The Crown Automotive Group has several dealerships in the area. Tesla will bolster healthy competition, Dilawri said.

He wasn’t certain when Tesla would officially open its doors; Tesla did not respond to questions by print deadline.

It has a long-term lease with a five-year renewal period, Dilawri said.

Already, Tesla owners have been taking their vehicles to the new site for servicing. James Hart, president of the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association, dropped off his ride last month.

“I think it’s actually going to be great for everybody,” Hart said of Tesla’s new location. “It’s going to kind of jump start the… other dealerships in that auto mall to start picking up electric vehicles.”

Hart hopes Tesla’s arrival will boost the number of electric vehicle sales in Manitoba.

Electric vehicles rely on charging stations. The challenge is placing enough chargers in residential areas, like apartment and condominium parking lots, Hart outlined.

“There’s always room for improvement with the infrastructure,” he said.

Winnipeg has 199 public charging station ports, according to ChargeHub.

Nott Autocorp has been the authority on Tesla servicing and sales in Winnipeg. It’s been servicing, selling and leasing the electric vehicles since 2012.

“Nothing really changes for us,” said president Trevor Nott via text, adding a Tesla shop is good news for Nott Autocorp.

It means quicker service for Tesla warranty repairs, he continued.

“This actually lightens the load,” Nott wrote. “This has been needed for years.”

Many people would visit Nott Autocorp and ask questions about Tesla vehicles, then buy online through Tesla’s website instead of at the Winnipeg dealership, Nott stated. He believes the Tesla store will lead to more business at his company.

“We have long awaited this,” Nott added.

Tesla’s arrival was simply a question of when for Jie Yang, a business professor at the University of Manitoba.

“If they can serve a smaller city like Saskatoon, of course they (would) also want to get the market share here,” he said.

Trading gas-powered for electric vehicles is an “unavoidable trend” as the world attempts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Yang continued.

Canada has announced its plan to phase out gas-powered car sales by 2035.

Tesla gained prominence in 2012 when it launched its flagship car, the Model S. It released its latest vehicle, the Cybertruck, near the end of 2023.

Tesla produced 1.85 million vehicles last year, a 35 per cent increase from the year prior, according to its most recent release to investors. Its revenue increased nine per cent year over in 2023’s third quarter, to $23.4 billion.

The company’s building in the Waverley Automall spans roughly 18,000 sq. ft. on two acres of land.

Tesla has been hiring for several job positions, including service and parts advisers.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com