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Matthew Hansen/Stuff
Tesla’s new Auckland site is on 147 Kirkbride Road, in Māngere.
Almost five years to the day that American electric vehicle firm Tesla opened its first store in Auckland (and, for that matter, in New Zealand), the brand has opened the doors to just its second Auckland site.
Tesla Auckland South in Māngere, on 147 Kirkbride Road, opened its doors to the public earlier this month, with the group already hosting test drives and sales on location.
The new site features a full showroom, numerous on-location EV charging stations, a service centre, a lounge area where owners can wait while their vehicles charge, and more.
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
The Māngere site’s service centre appears to be much larger than the service centre at the company’s Ponsonby building.
Construction at the site is not fully complete, with some of the site’s final touches still being finalised before it has a formal opening next month, on July 22.
Beyond the two Auckland centres, Tesla only has two other sites in New Zealand; one in Christchurch and one in Wellington.
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Tesla’s small property footprint echoes the brand’s focus on its online-based sales model, with most customers specifying and ordering their new cars online instead of on location.
Such is the brand’s online storefront emphasis that in 2019 it announced it would close most of its retail stores worldwide in order to reduce costs.
The announcement didn’t last long, with the manufacturer confirming just a few weeks later that it had partially reversed its decision.
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
Public charging stations are positioned at the front and side of the main showroom building.
Tesla’s lack of local brick and mortar footprint is a stark contrast to that of other electric rivals like BYD and MG.
Since it launched to the New Zealand market last year, BYD has opened 12 sites around the country. MG, meanwhile, has 18 sites around the country.
Admittedly, Tesla and the likes of BYD and MG have different corporate models, with BYD and MG often sharing dealership lots with other brands.
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