UNCASVILLE – Tesla is opening a sales and showroom at Mohegan Sun, setting up shop on the Mohegan Tribe’s sovereign land to sidestep a Connecticut law preventing direct-to-consumer auto sales.
The Tesla Sales and Delivery Center will open this fall at The Shops at Mohegan Sun, in a first-floor storefront formerly occupied by a Victoria’s Secret store, the casino announced on Wednesday.
Customers will be able to see and buy Tesla vehicles at the casino storefront. And the cars will be delivered at Mohegan Sun’s Sky Tower valet.
“This endeavor with Tesla marks an electrifying milestone in Mohegan Sun’s commitment to fostering impactful relationships, promoting environmental sustainability and offering cutting-edge experiences for our millions of annual guests, each of which are core goals of Mohegan Sun and the Mohegan Tribe,” Mohegan Sun President and General Manager Jeff Hamilton said in a news release.
In its release, Mohegan Sun touted the storefront as a “first-of-its-kind venture in Connecticut with the premiere Sales & Delivery center operating on Sovereign Tribal land.”
Tesla has been lobbying unsuccessfully for years to get Connecticut lawmakers to legalize direct-to-consumer sales of its electric vehicles. Electric-only vehicle manufacturers including Rivian and Tesla have used a direct sales model instead of the dealership model of other auto companies.
The annual “Tesla bill” regularly faces opposition from Connecticut’s car dealers who argue that the carve-out would give electric manufacturers an unfair advantage in the market.
The co-chairs of the legislature’s Transportation Committee State Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, and State Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, were generally supportive of the move in comments to CT Examiner.
“It’s certainly innovative on the part of both Tesla and the Tribe to come up with a solution that will bring their cars to market in Connecticut and allow them to distribute here,”…
