Tesla, which has been operating in Ireland since 2017 with a single retail outlet in Sandyford, Co. Dublin, has just opened its second store in the Republic.
Near Fota Island
Joining Sandyford - and the other Tesla store on the island, on Boucher Road in Belfast - is the new Tesla Store in Cork. It's to be found at Fota Junction Retail Park, just off the N25 dual carriageway that runs from the infamous Dunkettle Interchange out to Midleton.
The new Store includes the usual retail space for both Tesla Model 3 saloons and Model Y SUVs, and you can - if you like - order left-hand drive Model S and Model X electric cars there too. There's also a service centre, used Tesla sales, and charging facilities.
Continued investment
In a statement, the US-based electric car maker said that the new opening: "indicates Tesla's continued investment in the area, as part of its mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy."
Tesla sales have exploded globally in the past year as the company - led by its mercurial boss Elon Musk - has slashed the cost of its two key models, the 3 and Y. That has pushed the Model Y to the best-selling spot for global car sales.
World's best-seller
In Ireland, Tesla hasn't quite broken through to that extent, at least not yet. While the Model 3 and Model Y have seen individual months of being Ireland's best-selling car - usually coinciding with the months when shipments of new cas arrive and orders can be fulfilled en masse - Tesla hasn't broken into the top-ten selling brands in Ireland for 2023 at the time of writing, and the best-selling Model Y currently sits at 17th in the overall sales charts.
Tesla has expanded its Irish supercharging network, though, and now has high-speed charging locations in Belfast, Dundalk, Enfield, Athenry, Durrow (Ballacolla, technically), Birdhill, Cork, Tralee, and Dublin. Thus far, none of the Irish Superchargers have opened up to allow other brands to charge there, although a steady roll-out of that scheme has been promised.