Tesla Motors accelerates growth in Atlanta (SLIDESHOW) – Atlanta Business Chronicle

For the past six months, Tesla Motors has been quietly selling its even-quieter all-electric sedans out of a “service center” in a low-slung, semi-industrial office park in Marietta.

Now, the Silicon Valley automaker is unveiling its first Atlanta store Jan. 19.

Tesla executives are scouting sites for a second flagship store in intown Atlanta. The automaker is also said to be eyeing Avalon, an upscale $600 million mixed-used development under construction in Alpharetta.

Atlanta is a growing market for Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA), spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson said. California remains Tesla’s top market, followed by Florida and New York.

“We’re seeing a number of walk-ins into our Atlanta service center,” Georgeson said, declining to disclose sales data.

Tesla puts service centers in markets with clusters of customers. Locating a stand-alone store in Atlanta underscores the local demand for the Model S, Georgeson said.

Tesla’s Atlanta sales center is said to have delivered nearly 500 cars, the majority of them to metro Atlanta residents, according to sources. [Disclosure: I drive a Model S, which, apparently, has a parody Twitter account @urvakshtesla]

via Tesla Motors accelerates growth in Atlanta (SLIDESHOW) – Atlanta Business Chronicle.