Tesla opens first showroom in Ireland with long list of back orders to fulfill

If Tesla were playing Risk, it would just have earned an additional five points. With the opening of a new showroom in Ireland, the company has consolidated its conquest of Western Europe. And it appears there's been some pent up Tesla demand in Ireland. According to The Journal*: "Tesla has opened its first Irish showroom - but buyers may wait four months for cars... [as] it already has a long list of back orders to fulfill." 

Above: Tesla Model S and Model X (Image: The Journal*)

Tesla's new store will make it much easier for Irish car buyers to choose a Tesla. Previously, anyone living in Ireland who wanted to buy a Tesla had to take delivery in the UK, then arrange to bring the car across on the ferry. According to the web site EV Sales, a mere 7 Model S were registered in the country in 2016.

Above: Tesla western Europe director Georg Ell discusses the company's plans for the Irish market (Source: The Journal*)

The new Tesla shop, which will house office space, a showroom, and a repair center, is located at a former industrial space called the Sandyford Industrial Estate in south Dublin. It is licensed for unrestricted sales.

Above: Tesla's Sandyford store (Image: The Journal*)

Supercharging is also coming to the Emerald Isle. The first station is already online in Ballacolla, a strategically-located highway junction midway between Dublin and Limerick. Two more, in Limerick and Enfield, along the Dublin-Galway route, are expected to open before the end of the year. There are already 10 Tesla destination chargers in the Republic of Ireland, as well as 5 in Northern Ireland.

Above: Tesla's Supercharger in Ballacolla (Image: The Journal*)

One Irish Tesla owner just made news during his all-electric, long-distance road trip trekking "9,500km from Galway to Morocco - and back. In a drive that will forever banish fears of range anxiety in electric vehicles, Grattan Healy and his partner, Simona, travelled to Ouarzazate in Morocco (via Edinburgh) in his Tesla Model S... He said the 'ease of living' with the car led him to consider what might be possible."

Above: Irish Tesla owner, Grattan Healy, at the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260m up the High Atlas, half-way from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (Source: Independent)

And with Tesla making it easier to drive electric, Ireland may be able to expedite EV sales goals set by the country's Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA). Currently, the SEA has set a goal that 20% of cars be electric by 2020. However, EV sales in Ireland have been slow so far - 687 plug-in vehicles were sold in the country in 2016, 51% of them Nissan LEAFs (per EV Sales). In order to reach the SEA’s targets, 50,000 EVs will have to be sold by 2020.

Above: Tesla recently published its debut Ireland video (Youtube: Tesla)

Local Irish media appears enthusiastic about Tesla noting that: "it could be the game changer for electric vehicles in Ireland. It may have a bigger impact in getting electric cars onto Irish roads than all the incentives, rebates and environmental concerns combined." In Ireland, a base Model S costs €91,542 (around $100,000), and Model X starts at €113,031 ($124,000). Both are eligible for a grant from the SEA of up to €10,000.

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*Source: The Journal