British Columbia has the highest rates of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in North America. The most popular EV brand is Tesla, with tens of thousands on the roads across the province.
That popularity has forced Tesla to open several new retail locations in the province, most recently in Surrey and Richmond earlier this year. The locations are all still in the lower mainland, meaning buyers outside of Vancouver continue to have to make the long drive to pick up their new cars or have major services completed.
That looks like it is going to change as we have learned Tesla plans to open a new Sales, Service and Delivery Center in Kelowna.
Drive Tesla first received a tip about the expansion to the BC interior in early July. The automaker had not yet secured a location at that point but was in active discussions on a property in the area. According to our source they were hopeful two test drive events held in late July would be popular and cement the need for center in the area.
It appears they were a success and Tesla has now reportedly found a dealership to move into. According to TMC forum member jdbc, a direct source confirmed the location to be the current Kelowna Hyundai dealership at 3260 Hwy 97 N. The information was later corroborated by a Tesla employee.
In discussions with Drive Tesla, a representative at Kelowna Hyundai said their new dealership is currently under construction and they plan to move out when it is completed later this year or early next year.
With some renovation work needed to make the space suitable for Tesla’s use, that means an opening in the late spring or summer of 2022 will be most likely.
Based on aerial images of the property there is lots of space meaning when Tesla Kelowna does open it will likely be a Sales, Service & Delivery Center. It will also have a showroom, service area, and offer test drives to potential customers.
Tesla has yet to publish any job postings for the new location. Drive Tesla learned some existing employees have already been offered positions at the new store, but we expect some job postings to be published in the near future.
