Editor's Note: Tesla has announced it is reevaulating plans to close some stores. As a result. this story has been updated with Tesla's latest statements.
Telsa has posted a blog that reads in part: "Over the past two weeks we have been closely evaluating every single Tesla retail location, and we have decided to keep significantly more stores open than previously announced as we continue to evaluate them over the course of several months.”
Following the blog post WJCT News reached back out to Tesla asking for clarification regarding the store at the St. Johns Town Center.
Tesla spokeswoman Gina Antonini declined to confirm whether the Jacksonville store had been temporarily or permanently closed.
However a person that answered the local Tesla phone number, who did not wish to be named, implied there was a chance the Jacksonville store might reopen.
Earlier story:
The Tesla store at the St. Johns Town Center has closed, following Tesla’s announcement earlier this month that it's moving to an online-only sales model.
On Sunday, March 10, the Jacksonville showroom was empty with a sign on the door advising customers to order cars online.
WJCT News reached out to the mall’s owner, Simon Property Group, and Tesla to inquire about future plans for the space and to find out whether the six Tesla charging stations would be kept at the shopping center.
Simon Property Group spokeswoman Colleen Wagner said she couldn’t comment "at this time" on what might happen to the charging stations or the space. Tesla had not responded by the time of this story’s publication. There are also two Level 2 charging stalls at the shopping center, which are operated by Chargepoint and serve all types of plug-in vehicles.
Tesla has made a flurry of announcements in the past few weeks, including that its next generation Superchargers will be able to replenish 75 miles of range in five minutes in its Model 3.
The first of the new generation stations opened last week. Tesla also announced it will unveil its Model Y concept vehicle on March 14.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the SUV will be about 10 percent bigger than the Model 3 and will cost about 10 percent more, with slightly less range. The Model 3’s battery options range from 220 to 325 miles per charge, with a base price is $35,000 that can climb to almost $70,000, depending on the battery size and options chosen.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
