Tesla launches remote test drives in UK with virtual advisors

Tesla has launched its first remote test drive hub in the UK, enabling car buyers to test-drive Teslas without advisors present.

A virtual advisor walks drivers through controls before they take to the road for 30 minutes

Opened just days after Europe got its first Tesla remote test drive site in Sweden, the inaugural UK hub is situated at the Taste Perthshire site near Perth in Scotland.

Drivers can book a test online, do the ‘paperwork’ in advance over email and the car will be remotely unlocked when they arrive on site and notify the advisor. They will then verify the customer’s identity through the vehicle’s cameras and unlock the car.

Drivers will also be guided through the new driving process and given a virtual consultation on controls, product features and purchase options before they take to the road for 30 minutes.

At the end of the test, the driver just drops off the vehicle at the same location, plugs the vehicle back in to the charger and confirms with the advisor that the appointment has ended.

Drivers can also make use of the restaurant, various retailers, and eight electric vehicle charging stalls, enabling them to charge their own car while out in the Tesla.

Tesla held its annual Investor Day earlier this month, reiterating plans to grow production from 1.3 million EVs in 2022 to 20 million EVs in 2030 but without specifying future products or its rumoured affordable smart model. It did reveal plans to slash production costs and ramp up output in its ‘Masterplan 3’ and announced a new factory in Monterrey, Mexico.

In the UK, the company has also made its second round of price cuts this year to help drive demand for slower-selling models.

Tesla’s Perth remote test drives are available until 5pm every day. More details are available here.

For more of the latest industry news, click here.

Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.