Greg Gardner

Detroit Free Press

Tesla Motors has opened a small gallery inside the Nordstrom store at Somerset Collection in Troy.

The automaker appears to be abiding by a Michigan law that restricts sales of vehicles to franchised dealers.

The gallery, the first Tesla location in Michigan, opened Thursday and covers about 700 square feet on the first floor of the store near the entrance nearest Big Beaver Road. There is one vehicle, a Model X, on display and a separate exhibit featuring the car's interior.

There are one or two people staffing the area to answer questions, but there are signs stating that the Model X is not for sale. One sign informs potential customers that they can learn more by contacting a Tesla retail store in Lyndhurst, Ohio, near Cleveland.

Despite lobbying by the state and local dealer associations and some automakers, the Michigan legislature has kept Tesla from selling vehicles in the state because Michigan law says it must be a licensed franchise dealer to engage in automotive retailing.

►Related: Tesla sues Snyder, Schuette for right to to sell cars in Michigan

►Archive: Tesla still waiting for Michigan dealer license

In September the Palo Alto, Calif.-based electric car maker sued Michigan after Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and an administrative panel denied the company's application for a license to sell cars directly to consumers.

“We’ve always stood up for what Michigan law says," said Terry Burns, executive director of the Michigan Auto Dealers Association. "It’s very easy to comply with current Michigan law. They could potentially make Nordstrom a dealer. They’re halfway there now.

There are about 260 Tesla galleries or retail locations in the U.S., but none is operated by a franchised dealer. In the Great Lakes region, there are four locations in metropolitan Chicago and one each in Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland.

►Related: Tesla battles history in fight for direct sales

►It's final: Michigan won't let Tesla open a dealership in Grand Rapids

Tesla so far has sold luxury electric cars ranging in price from about $70,000 to $125,000. But by late 2017, co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has promised to launch production of a new Model 3 that will be priced at about $35,000.

About 400,000 people have given Tesla $1,000 deposits for that car. If the company produces that many cars, it may need to build a second assembly plant to augment its sole plant in Fremont, Calif.

Contact Greg Gardner: (313) 222-8762 or ggardner@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregGardner12.