Tesla Motors is opening a showroom for its electric cars at Natick Mall

E-mail | Print | Comments () 09/27/2012 7:56 AM

Courtesy of Tesla

A Telsa Model S sedan.

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By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Tesla Motors, a California company that makes luxury electric vehicles, is gearing up to open a showroom at Natick Mall, its first in New England.

The showroom is scheduled to open to the public Friday, and it will be the company’s 16th retail location in North America.

Visitors will be able to ogle the Model S, a sedan with a starting price of $57,400. The entry-level model is equipped with a battery that gives the car a range of roughly 160 miles before recharging is needed.

People who buy a Tesla are eligible for a federal tax credit of $7,500, the company notes.

Part of Tesla’s strategy has been devoted to “re-inventing the car buying experience,” in part by locating its showrooms in malls and other places with high foot traffic, the company said.

In a media advisory, Tesla noted that its showroom at Natick Mall is located near a Victoria’s Secret. That seems about right. After checking out an electric car, a shopper can then conveniently duck into a nearby shop and buy some electrifying underwear.

Chris Reidy can be reached at reidy@globe.com.