The deal was spearheaded by Ganesh Srivats, Tesla's North American sales VP -- he's a former exec at fashion retailer Burberry who worked closely with Nordstrom. The company thinks that the pricey Model S and Model X -- and soon the more reasonable Model 3 -- may appeal to the retailer's upscale shoppers.

Ultimately we're going to be restricted by the dealerships from engaging in the new playful ways that we're able to do because we own our business.

However, Tesla may expand to some of Nordstrom's other 121 stores in the US and Canada if the pilot program works. The EV company believes it's important to have a retail presence beyond its 215 stores around the world, especially since it plans to sell 500,000 Model 3s. However, it thinks the idea wouldn't be possible without its direct sales model. "Because ultimately we're going to be restricted by the dealerships from engaging in the new playful ways that we're able to do because we own our business," Srivats tells Fast Co.