Posted Jan 27, 2015, 11:00 AM
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Loving SA 365 days a year
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Antonio
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WILL BE LOCATED IN THE STONE OAK AREA
Quote:
Emily Baucum
News 4 San Antonio
Tesla Motors, the maker of luxury electric cars, is once again setting its sights on San Antonio with plans to open a showroom on the city's far north side.
Last year, the company passed the city up as the location of its first battery factory which would have brought thousands of jobs to town.
A showroom would not bring nearly as many jobs but it would be a local presence. Tesla is a notoriously secretive company. Not even some top local leaders knew about the plan until News 4 started asking questions.
Tesla is asking the city to re-zone five acres off East Sonterra and Highway 281 for a showroom for its high-performing, high-dollar electric cars.
News 4 found the proposal in Wednesday's agenda for the city's planning commission. Not even leaders who previously wooed Tesla to town know much about the company's plans.
"It doesn't take a lot of room to show their car," Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says.
He explained the location would be a showroom only, not a dealership. Texas law prohibits manufacturers like Tesla from selling cars directly to customers - so drivers could come kick the tires, but couldn't drive off in a new car.
Judge Wolff believes there is an economic upside. "I think it's positive to have their showroom in San Antonio," Judge Wolff says. "Shows that San Antonio is up with technology, blends with other efforts that we're doing with solar power."
And perhaps the showroom is a sign of bigger things to come. Two weeks ago, Tesla's founder tweeted he wants to build a test track for a high-speed rail system "most likely in Texas."
City council will have the final say on if the land gets re-zoned. The showroom would be in Councilman Joe Krier's district. He tells News 4 he supports the showroom and hopes Tesla makes it the start of a larger presence.
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