Tesla Opening First Bucks Co. Dealership

BUCKS COUNTY, PA —A Tesla dealership and service center has been approved in Warminster, making it the first for Bucks County.

Warminster Township Supervisors gave the green light for the dealership off Street Road at its meeting Thursday night with representatives for the developer saying that Tesla wants the project fast-tracked so it will open by the end of the year.

"This might be the fastest land development agreement ever," said Attorney Amee Farrell of Kaplin Stewart Attorneys at Law in Blue Bell, who represented Drake Motors Partners at the hearing. "We hope to break ground in the next two weeks."

She said the deal with Tesla was contingent on getting the dealership completed and open by the end of the year.

"I think it’s perfect," Warminster Supervisor Mark McKee told Patch Monday afternoon. "We’re centrally located between Doylestown and Jenkintown, with access up and down the Route 611 corridor and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I honestly think this is somewhat why they chose this location."

Tesla, the car company led by CEO Elon Musk, models itself on clean energy and designs and manufactures electric vehicles, battery energy storage from home to grid-scale, solar panels, and solar roof tiles.

Tesla has dealerships located in King of Prussia, Devon, and Lawrence, N.J.

Representatives had previously said that the project would cost between $6-8 million.

Developers will convert the 56,000-square-foot building on 9 acres into the Tesla dealership and service center.

The old Pathmark property at 700 York Road in Warminster is across the street from Archbishop Wood High School and near Street Road. It had been considered by Lidl for another grocery store.

Tesla would hire 30-40 employees for maintenance and sales. Representatives said those employees would be local hires.

Its operating hours would be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and closed Sunday.

There would be a service area with space for two rows of parking, an alignment center, a storage area for tires, windshield wipers, fluids, and other auto supplies.

The front would feature a waiting area and showroom featuring two Tesla vehicles people can examine, a car wash area, and two loading areas for deliveries.

But Tesla won't be your typical car dealership.

The project's engineer had previously told Warminster supervisors that service and repairs would happen in the building by appointment only. The repair area would have 18 lifts.

Vehicles would also be purchased online with appointments made for pickup.