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Tesla will completely redesign showrooms for Model 3 launch

Tesla continues its quest to build an automotive Apple Store.

The Tesla Model 3 is the biggest and most important new vehicle in the company's history. And because of that, the Silicon Valley giant is preparing a major rethink of its showrooms ahead of the introduction. Tesla's VP of North American Sales Ganesh Srivats told Fast Company the EV maker is preparing a drastic showroom redesign that throws "preconceived notions of auto sales out the window and [starts] from the ground up."

Unfortunately, Srivats wouldn't reveal much more about the Tesla's plans. Still, for a company that's already shaken up traditional auto sales to talk about throwing things out windows and starting from the ground up is awfully bold talk. Tesla has tangled with dealership groups across the country over its traditional sales models, setting up galleries staffed with product specialists to offer test drives in places like Texas and Arizona, where laws forbid direct sales. Tesla toes the legal line staffing these galleries with product specialists that offer test drives, but no direct info about pricing or purchasing. It's unlikely Tesla will rock that particular boat with new showroom designs.

"We knew we couldn't rely on dealerships to promote our mission, to operate the business the way we wanted to, to provide this great customer experience," Srivats told Fast Company. "So we've really had to chart our own course."

"We like the idea of owning the entire process. It creates an information loop from our customers straight into manufacturing and vehicle design."

Tesla won't launch the Model 3 until 2017. That means its showroom/gallery redesign has the time to change or evolve. Now we just need to wait and see what that means.

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