If you want to test drive a new Tesla, you do not even have to step foot into one of its showrooms.
That is because the US brand is trying to branch out to new customers with the launch of its ‘Remote Test Drives’, which offer drivers to chance to get behind the wheel without having to shake the hand of a car salesman or woman.
The scheme is being introduced across Europe, and the first location it will be trialled in the UK is in Perth, Scotland.
Customers will be able to unlock the car they want to test with their phone, have a half-hour video call to discuss the vehicle’s features and then take the expensive electric vehicle (EV) out on a 30-minute drive unaccompanied.
This is Tesla’s first UK ‘Remote Test Drive’ location in Perth in Scotland. Not only is there no showroom but also no salesmen or women – instead, customers get a guided tour of the car on their phone and then take the car out unaccompanied
Having unlocked a Model S or Model Y via their phone, customers can take a Tesla on a 30-minute test drive on their own before deciding if they want to place an order
Tesla says it already applies ’21st century thinking to car purchase and ownership’ but now wants to expand this into pre-sales too.
It says it can use the ‘connected nature’ of its cars to provide potential buyers with an independent experience at a remote location.
Customers need to arrange their remote test drive online, complete the ‘paperwork’ in advance over email, and then travel to the Perthshire location, which is a petrol station and EV charging site rolled into one, with shops and a restaurant.
Test drives are available between 10:30am and 17:00pm every day of the week.
On arrival, Tesla will remotely unlock one of the Model 3 and Model Y cars kept at the location.
Customers need to arrange their remote test drive online and complete the ‘paperwork’ in advance over email before visiting the Taste Perthshire location
Could this spell the end of car salesmen and showrooms? The new way of thinking is part of Tesla’s philosophy of virtual purchasing and ownership
‘When you arrive on site for your appointment, stand beside your chosen vehicle and notify your Tesla advisor via calling the number which is provided in advance,’ the company says.
‘They will be able to verify your identity through the vehicles cameras and unlock the car.
‘A local Tesla advisor will be in touch to guide you through the new driving process and offer you a virtual consultation prior to driving. This will cover driving controls, product features and purchase options.’
Once this is complete, customers are given 30 minutes of driving time without having a Tesla advisor present.
On returning from the test route, drivers return the car to its allocated parking space, plug it into the charger and confirm with the advisor that the appointment has ended.
The Perth site is the second to launch across Europe, with Örebro in Sweden getting the first Remote Test Drive location.
