1st Tesla dealership on Vancouver Island coming to Langford, B.C.

It’s another feather in the City of Langford’s cap. Vancouver Island’s only Tesla dealership and service centre is officially coming to the West Shore.

"Tesla could have gone anywhere," said Stew Young, the Mayor of Langford, B.C.

It's a move that the municipality says will have huge benefits for the region.

Young estimates the 35,000-square-foot building will cost $40 to $50 million dollars to build, and once complete, will employ 50 people.

"It’s going to make it very much easier for people to get any kind of service," said Heather Kellington, with the Tesla Owners Club of Vancouver Island.

Kellington estimates there are 3,000 Teslas on Vancouver Island. Currently, if you need to service your vehicle, you either have to take it over to the mainland or call the Tesla mobile ranger.

"We have two or three mobile rangers that come around to your house to do any kind of minor work," said Kellington.

She adds that with a dealership coming, more people will be open to buying a Tesla.

ELECTRIC POLICE VEHICLES

Right now, the RCMP is outfitting a Model Y Tesla in Ottawa. It will become Canada’s first Tesla patrol vehicle, and its home will be at the West Shore RCMP.

"This is the first one for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police across the country," said Insp. Todd Preston, of the West Shore RCMP.

"When we knew that a Tesla dealership may potentially be here, we piggybacked off of that and said this would be an incredible site to try to test these vehicles," he said.

That car will arrive sometime this year.

An artist's rendering of a Tesla Model Y that is being outfitted for the West Shore RCMP.

"I would say yes, in the future, you are going to see everything electric," said Langford's mayor.

Langford has committed to switching its city fleet of around 20 vehicles to EVs over the next five years.

The mayor says the possibility of a new post-secondary institution coming to Langford helped attract Tesla to the municipality.

"They want to have a new university where the kids can get trained for all this new technology and all the new jobs," said Young.

Other car dealerships in the region seem to welcome the idea.

"It’s a huge compliment," said Julian Sale, principle dealer at Motorize Electric Vehicles. "It will totally supercharge our sales."

The View Royal dealership sells used EVs of all types, including Teslas.

With the new Tesla service centre on it’s way, Sale predicts his dealership will benefit.

"It will spawn a massive, huge tidal wave of EV ownership on the island here," he said.

The new dealership and service centre is set to open its doors in June 2023.