SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – There was a grand opening celebration Thursday at Vermont’s first Tesla showroom.
While the outlet opened last month at the former Hannaford property on Shelburne Road, dozens stopped by to get a peek at the electric vehicles, including a Tesla cybertruck.
Investors and enthusiasts alike were excited about the event and shared the importance of this facility opening in the state.
“Having a way to be able to look at the cars physically and to be able to get in and test drive, that sort of thing, you have to travel a bit. I’ve been looking forward to this facility opening up since I heard about it a year ago,” said Russ Gilfix, who visited the showroom.
The effort to open the showroom started two years ago when EV sales were red hot. Since then, Tesla sales have slumped and the company last quarter posted its first annual sales decline since the pandemic. Other EV makers have also reported a decline in sales and are scaling back.
There are an estimated 3,000 Tesla owners in Vermont.