Remote test hubs: Tesla finding new ways to get drivers behind the wheel of an EV

Tesla has changed the buying experience most people had when getting behind the wheel of a new vehicle. It snubbed the dealership model, and from test-driving to ordering a Tesla the experience is quite different to how traditional manufacturers sell their cars. 

Now Tesla is trying a new way to get more drivers behind the wheel, including those that could be living in remote areas. Tesla in Sweden has opened its first remote test-driving hub in Örebro, Sweden.

The new location is about 200 km west of Stockholm, the capital. People will be able to test drive a vehicle without interacting with an in-person sales advisor. The process as explained by Tesla Europe on Twitter is quite simple:

Book appointment at http://tesla.com → call us when you’ve arrived → we remotely unlock the vehicle for you & walk you through the basics → test drive for 30 mins → drop off vehicle at the same location

Tesla has made its 3 vehicles available as part of this new experience for those living near this new test-driving hub which includes:

• Tesla Model 3
• Tesla Model Y
• Tesla Model S

Over the last couple of years, Tesla has tried various ways to offer contactless test drives and deliveries. Most of this was driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This works well as traditional car dealers generally send a representative on test drives which puts many buyers off when trying out a new vehicle and a stranger is sitting next to them. It at times can feel like the car dealers’ salespeople are judging the buyer on test drives to try and on-sell other products when they’re back at the dealership.

Tesla’s approach removes that problem while providing a much better experience to test drivers.

The Driven’s take: Buying an electric car is a big purchasing decision and drivers should experience it on their own terms. This includes locations where they would not normally be able to test drive an EV and without any sales tactics from car salespeople.

Overall Tesla’s driving hubs make sense as the EV maker grows to serve more markets. Making them contactless without a car salesperson breathing down a buyer’s neck is something many prospective EV drivers would appreciate.