Recharge Wrap-up: Company to lease Tesla Model 3 for each employee, new Apple store for cars?

Could Apple's new San Francisco store serve a showroom for an Apple car? A video from Wired showcases the new real estate, and points out that its huge hangar doors open plenty wide to make room for a vehicle. Apple describes the new store in Union Square as "the new generation of Apple retail." Could that be a hint toward a wider scope of high-tech products, including the kind with four wheels? On hand at the grand opening of the new retail space was Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, who The Drive named as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential People in Automotive Technology." See the new store in the video above, and read more at Apple Car Fans.

Tesla is opening new stores in the Hamptons and Cape Cod. With the new locations in the wealthy vacation areas, Tesla could be hoping to pick up some strong summertime sales. Tesla spokeswoman Sonja Koch says last summer's pop-up store in the Hamptons saw a lot of interest. The new stores in Mashpee, Massachusetts and East Hampton on Long Island – which are scheduled to open Friday – are some of the company's first to specifically target tourists. Read more at Automotive News.

A company in North Carolina says it will lease a Tesla Model 3 for each of its 16 employees. Practichem says the move will help to retain current employees and attract new talent, but is also expected to help drive innovation. Nick DeMarco, CEO of Practichem, sees Elon Musk as an inspiration for his own employees to seek to be as innovative in their field of biotech. "Many of our employees have marveled at Tesla's approach," says DeMarco. "Their compelling all-electric vehicles drive us to make real change in our field." Read more at Teslarati.