Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the company will open Tesla stores in Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia and most Eastern Europe states by early next year.

“Finally, we will do Nikola Tesla proud by having his cars in his countries of origin,” Elon Musk wrote.

Musk makes a reverential reference to Nikola Tesla, the engineering wizard from whose name the nomenclature of the carmaker has been derived.

Serbia is located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe and borders Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia Croatia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.

The Serbian capital, Belgrade is the longest inhabited and largest city in south-east Europe.

Europe needs more Tesla stores

According to reports, the EU needs more Tesla stores as the brand awareness and appetite for EVs are increasing.

In many European cities, Tesla is yet to open stores. There is an urgent need of 60–80 Tesla stores in the EU as a good demand potential exists to be served.

In the EU market where BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi are sold many residents would also want a mass-market darling Tesla Model 3. But they need a neighborhood Tesla store to check one out.

Tesla stock was up 0.9 percent in the after-hours trade of 23 September.

Tesla stores Vs traditional dealers

Tesla stores are a far cry from traditional car dealerships. For example Mercedes, unlike individual franchises that take inventory from the manufacturers and sell cars for a profit, Tesla stores make no up-selling.

According to Tesla news, stores of Tesla work like any other retail store and the aim is to eliminate middlemen by selling vehicles directly to the customers.

Tesla Stores will not sell a car in the store. Because of the franchise laws, Tesla customers must purchase vehicles online.

Instead of a sale, Tesla Stores offer customers a place to see sample vehicles and give information. Tesla is in direct sales and it is a game-changer in the auto industry.

Born in the Austrian Empire, Nikola Tesla, after his studies in engineering migrated to the United States in 1884. There he became a naturalized citizen.

After working for the Edison Machine Works in New York, Tesla set up many laboratories to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices. His work in AC induction motor and polyphase AC patents later licensed by Westinghouse Electric in 1888 earned him good money and fame.