Tesla will open a new dealer site in Belfast next week to replace its existing location. The American company says it has "outgrown" the current site, and the new location will open on November 18. At the same time, the company has announced a new program for remote test drives in Ireland.
New retail site
The new Tesla Centre Belfast will open to the public on Saturday, November 18, replacing Tesla's current Belfast facility, which only opened in 2020. The company says increased demand for vehicles has necessitated the move to the new Boucher Road location, which is designed to be accessible from the M1, M2 and M3.
As well as offering servicing and sales operations, the new site will also be home to eight Tesla Supercharger charging points.
To celebrate the opening, a special event is scheduled between 10am and 4pm on opening day, with activities and children's entertainment all planned. This will include demonstrations of Tesla's in-car gaming, as well as tours of the service centre, allowing interested guests to get up close and personal with the vehicles.
"We're proud to be investing further into Northern Ireland at Tesla, and investing in jobs and upskilling people in the Belfast area," said John McBain, the area sales and delivery manager for Tesla. "Everything we do at Tesla is in support of our mission, which is to accelerate Northern Ireland's transition to sustainable energy."
App-based test drive bookings
Tesla's new app-based test drive bookings allow customers to use the latest iteration of the Tesla app to remotely arrange test drives, then use Bluetooth technology to unlock the vehicle they wish to test. Available from Shannon, the system allows customers to book a slot, walk up to the car and unlock it via the app, before driving away.
Eventually, Tesla plans to have all its Irish test drives managed via the app, "so customers can self-schedule a test drive whenever and wherever convenient for them from their nearest Tesla location."
For the time being, however, Shannon is the only location in Ireland offering the service, which is also available in Perth, Scotland and Carlisle, England. The new Belfast location is not expected to offer the service immediately when it opens.