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Tesla Dealership

Tesla Dealership Opens At Gigafactory

Storey County Gets It’s First Car Dealership. Sort Of.

Telsa announced this week that they are opening Northern Nevada’s first Tesla “dealership”. Tesla says that customers can schedule an appointment to take delivery of a new Tesla and take a tour of the Gigafactory online.

Car buyers must configure and register for the pickup and tour in advance. Tesla said the opportunity goes through December 31st.  It is unknown if this is a permanent thing or something that will be over with the holidays. Given the typical end-of-quarter sales push that has driven Tesla over the past year, this may just be a sales gimmick.

Tesla Dealership
2016 Tesla Model S 60 (Photo: Tesla Motors / MGN)

A New Source Of Sales Tax?

This is interesting from Storey County’s perspective; could this be a boon for taxable sales? Tesla is exempt from paying sales tax on items they purchase, but Tesla buyers are not. However, most states require that when a new car is registered, sales tax collected in the county where the new car is being registered.

Tesla is most likely issuing a temporary Nevada registration to allow the purchaser to drive the new car home. Once the freshly minted Tesla owner registers the car at home, the county they live in collects the sales tax.

Unless someone here in Storey County is buying a new Tesla, this announcement will probably not benefit Storey County much. A number of boards have people saying they will be coming to take delivery of a new Tesla and take the tour of the Gigafactory. However, they will be eating, drinking and staying in Reno, not Virginia City, thus stimulating the economy of Washoe County and not Storey County.

Special Use Permit Required For Tesla Dealership?

Storey County loves to give out special use permits. The Teller will check with the Business Development Department to see if any revenue is generated by a new license. The regulations surrounding retail automotive, and car dealerships are always interesting, so we may have a hidden windfall after all.

Stay Tuned for updates to this story as they break.

Elect Sam Toll For County Commissioner

About Sam Toll

Sam Toll is a native of Gold Hill and returned home in 2016 after 35 years in the Sacramento Valley. He enjoys old cars and loud music. And writing.

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3 comments

  1. Sam, this could work out good for you. You could recharge on the county dime while you cover meetings, or even to go have lunch. If you played it right the cost of the fuel (zero to you) could seriously offset the payment on the car. You are a smart guy and I think you can figure this out. Happy motoring.

  2. Sam Toll:
    ANOTHER TYPE OF BROTHEL?
    Like those whorehouses bosses are gonna talk people into
    buying their “coal burning” cars sight unseen.. maybe kinda like
    they “sell’ their whorehouse merchandise.
    If the con works at the Mustang. Maybe it’ll work at the gigafactory..
    The gigafactory that citizens of Nevada are the Real owners of.
    UNFORTUNATELY!
    Sam DNA
    Here’s just 1 of dozens of PS’s:
    When is Nevada gonna start taxing those 2 ton Tesla behemoths for tearing
    up our highways.
    THE WAY THEY TAX THE GAS THAT WE POOR GAS CAR DRIVERS BUY?
    Right now Nevada is allowing those thieves to make you guys pay for
    their tearing up of our roads.
    But wait! Nothing new there. Those greedy billionaires over the hill
    thrive on the stupidity of Nevada citizens and their govt “bosses”.
    Think Water Pipeline.. paid for by the citizens… for the benefit of
    the greedy billionaires.
    Sure glad Reno never gets shafted like this. Not!
    Likes(too many to fit on internet)

  3. Hi Steve Toll, 1/1/19
    Checking back in.
    It’s Jan 1, 2019. Do you have any numbers on how many of these road destroying behemoths
    the gigagaggers sold? Rumor has that Trump is gonna start charging a hefty tax on these 2-ton cars to pay of the massive damage they are causing. Ex post facto back 5 years.
    Sam DNA

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