Luxury Electric Car Dealership Coming To Downtown D.C.

By David Schultz

The electric sports cars made by Tesla are silent, when idle. But as Shaun Phillips, a Tesla sales rep, demonstrates, their 288 horsepower engines pack a punch.

"I've had people curse on their test drives," says Phillips. "I've had grown men giggle or squeal in fear."

Tesla is looking to open its first dealership in the region, and Phillips says they're eying some prime real estate: K Street, a few blocks from the White House.

"We can have lawmakers come here, come into our store, learn about the technology that maybe they haven't seen before and then go back to their hometowns," he says.

D.C. doesn't usually allow dealerships downtown. But since Tesla will have a small showroom and no service center, Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos says she supports it.

"This isn't a traditional car dealership," says Santos. "This is going to be a destination. They anticipate being a draw for pedestrians."

And those pedestrians better bring their checkbooks. The base price for a new Tesla is $100,000.