Tesla will open its first self-owned body repair shops later this year, the company announced today in its Q1 2017 earnings letter. As Elon Musk’s auto business heads toward production of the Model 3, Tesla’s “mainstream” electric vehicle, it’s taking steps to ensure that the customer service and repair process can meet the demands of future customers.
These Tesla-owned shops will “significantly improve the customer experience with out-of-warranty body repairs,” the automaker said. Most Model S and Model X owners haven’t had to worry about a lapsed warranty yet. Tesla also plans to “expand the existing network of third-party, Tesla-certified body shops.”
In addition to adding onto its total number of physical service locations, Tesla is also putting more resources behind its mobile repair process, which sees trucks visit car owners to administer repairs without requiring customers to make the trip to a service center. Tesla will “add more than 100 mobile repair trucks in Q2 alone” This strategy, according to the company, “is unique given the direct relationship we have with our customers and because our cars are designed so that most repairs can be done without raising the car on a vehicle lift.”