Closest Thing You'll Find to a Tesla Dealership Lands in Michigan

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Until January, any Michigan resident hoping to take home a Tesla had to first leave the state. That all changed following an agreement between the state and the automaker, which sued Michigan back in 2016 to protest its protectionist law against direct sales.

Now, the closest thing you’ll find to a true Tesla dealer has appeared outside Detroit.

As reported by Automotive News, a service center in Clarkston first greeted Tesla owners in March, though the attached gallery is new. There, customers can arrange test drives, seek out product and buying process info, and take delivery of a car in person — at least once Michigan relaxes its stay-at-home orders. The store still features “coming soon” signage.

As Tesla’s first standalone gallery and service center in the state (a Troy mall hosts the only other such gallery), the location can be seen as a shot across the bow of the Detroit Three automakers who, along with rivals also bearing a network of franchised dealers, enjoyed the state’s prohibitive law since 2014.

The result of the lawsuit was a compromise between Michigan and Tesla, with service centers allowed to exist only under the ownership of a subsidiary. In this case, Tesla Michigan. Customers can take delivery of their cars from said gallery/showroom, though Tesla can only legally hand over rides with out-of-state titles. Staff on hand at the gallery would then guide the customer through the process of transferring the title to their home state.

The agreement also means that servicing (the importance of which can’t be ignored when it comes to convenience and car ownership) can now take place within the state. Combining sales and service in one building, dealership-style, is a no-brainer, and the location in Clarkston will likely become the first of many. An ominous presence for rival automakers with headquarters just a few dozen miles away.

[Image: Tesla]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on May 14, 2020

    Watched Back to the Future tonight. Set in 1985. Went back to 1955. At the end of the movie Doc Brown was headed for 2015. Reality check: Back to the Future from 1985 was closer to 1955 than it is to 2020. Come with me to Twin Pines Mall. Notice the JCPenney store (where are they in 2020?). Notice the photographic film development booth in the mall parking lot. Check out Doc Brown's 1984 GMC Value Van (not exactly a Denali, is it?). Now check out Statler Toyota of Hill Valley - the home of Marty's 1985 Toyota SR5 Xtra Cab. Things change. Things change more slowly in the automotive world. And slower than that in the world of automotive dealerships. Why is that?

    • Golden2husky Golden2husky on May 14, 2020

      I remember watching the BTTF movie in the theatre, and when Marty went back to 1985 a few minutes early. The sign said "Lone Pine Mall" because Marty killed one of "old man Peabody's" pines with his Delorean when he took off to avoid the old man's shotgun. I said it out loud, and my friends didn't believe me...no way to rewind a movie but the next time we watched it, my friends had to cash in on the bet I made...love that movie. probably my favorite entertainment movie; it was classic Spielberg

  • NeilM NeilM on May 15, 2020

    Not a fan of the psychedelic pinwheel wheel design.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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