• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Tech

Check Out Tesla’s New San Francisco Store

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 10, 2016, 6:12 PM ET
Photo courtesy of Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

Electric car company Tesla Motors plans to open its first store in San Francisco this Friday as part of a strategy to rapidly expand the company’s retail footprint.

The store, which is its largest in the U.S. at 65,000 square feet, is located at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and O’Farrell Street. The three-story space will sell cars, educate consumers about electric vehicles and service customers’ cars.

The latest store is part of Tesla’s new retail push. For the rest of the year, the company plans to open up stores in new locations every four days on average. Many of these new stores will be larger in scale than previous stores, in order to accommodate Tesla’s growing car lineup as well as products from solar installer SolarCity (SCTY), which Tesla (TSLA) is acquiring.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

On Wednesday afternoon Fortune took a tour of the store, which has sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows, and a massive screen advertising Tesla products. Here are some photos:

 

The 65,000 Tesla San Francisco store has sweeping views of the street outside. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

Tesla says because of the San Francisco store’s large size and location the company plans to do some of its product launches there.

 

A huge screen sits in the lobby. Fortune/Katie Fahrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

On Tuesday night, Tesla held a VIP launch party at the store, which brought together hundreds of Tesla customers.

 

Tesla's Model X SUV cars are on display
Tesla’s Model X SUV cars are on display. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

While Tesla is only selling the Model S and the Model X out of the store for now, down the road the company will also sell the Model 3 there, as well as its batteries for homes. Eventually if the SolarCity acquisition is closed, Tesla could also sell solar panels at its stores.

 

The area where Tesla cars will be serviced in San Francisco. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

Tesla’s headquarters are in Palo Alto, Calif., and its auto factory is in Fremont, Calif, a short freeway drive from the San Francisco location.

For an inside look at Tesla’s Gigafactory watch our video.

 

The second floor lobby in Tesla's San Francisco store.
The second floor lobby in Tesla’s San Francisco store. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

The building has been occupied by various car companies over the years and is part of San Francisco’s historic auto row. Chevrolet originally built the showroom in 1937, the same year that the Golden Gate Bridge was opened.

 

More servicing space at Tesla's San Francisco store.
More servicing space at Tesla’s San Francisco store. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

Tesla’s store expansion, along with its acquisition and its massive battery factory, under construction outside of Reno, Nevada, won’t come cheap. The company plans to make $1.1 billion in payments and planned expenditures in the third quarter, which is about a third of its cash on hand.

 

The first floor display space, looking out from the second floor. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

Tesla plans to deliver its first Model 3 cars, a $35,000 electric sedan, to its first customers by the end of 2017. The company has close to 400,000 reservations for the car.

 

The first floor and sales and display area of Tesla's new San Francisco store.
The first floor and sales and display area of Tesla’s new San Francisco store. Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

 

The San Francisco store will be Tesla’s 260th location. By the end of this year Tesla hopes to have 300 stores, and by the end of 2017 Tesla expects to have 441 stores around the world.

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Elon Musk stands behind the Nasdaq opening bell and in front of a "SpaceX" background.
Startups & VentureSpaceX
Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Valor, and the biggest VC winners from SpaceX’s IPO
By Allie GarfinkleJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
Sven Gerjets, chief technology officer at Gap, speaks on stage on a panel at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Future of WorkBrainstorm Tech
Why companies are treating AI as a strategic partner rather than a passive technology, and how to avoid an ‘AI hangover’
By Sebastian HerreraJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
Elon Musk stands behind the Nasdaq opening bell and in front of a "SpaceX" background.
Future of WorkElon Musk
Despite his new trillionaire status, Elon Musk says money ‘will stop being relevant’ in the future because of AI
By Sasha RogelbergJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
AI was supposed to cut health care costs. One of its first jobs was charging you more, PwC report shows
AIHealth Care Service
AI was supposed to cut health care costs. One of its first jobs was charging you more, PwC report shows
By Whizy Kim and Tech BrewJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago
paul
AIWorld Cup
Machine learning gives the U.S. a 1% chance of winning the World Cup final in its own backyard
By Achim Zeileis and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago
DoorDash wants you to stop scrolling and just tell its new AI chatbot what you’re hungry for
RetailDoorDash
DoorDash wants you to stop scrolling and just tell its new AI chatbot what you’re hungry for
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
13 hours ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.