Tesla joins the Retail Apocalypse by closing dealerships plus a driving update for March 2019: Pearl

Pearl the Prius's odometer rolled over 45,000 miles on Thursday, March 7, 2019, 75 days after it passed 44,000 miles on the Winter Solstice.  That means it's time to analyze my driving habits.  I'll do that over the jump after I return to what I used to do for these updates until March of last year, share the latest news about Tesla and other electric and hybrid vehicles.

The biggest story I've read lately is that Tesla is joining the Retail and Apocalypse as Mashable reported early this week that Tesla is closing many of its 378 retail locations as it is moving to online-only sales to reduce car prices.

Tesla announced that they are closing down most of their physical stores in order to cut down on company costs. Only a few stores in busy areas will remain open, acting as galleries and “information centers." Elon Musk says the shift to online exclusivity is intended to reduce the price of all Tesla cars by 6%.

The good news is that this move will lower the price of Tesla Model 3s, which will help sell more cars, replacing those with internal combustion engines and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  The bad news includes the loss of retail space and accompanying jobs (3,150 jobs, or about 7 percent of Tesla's workforce, many of which are not in sales).  One of these may be the Tesla showroom at Somerset Collection although I have found no confirmation of it closing.  Still, I may have to hurry to see it before it does. 

Speaking of the Retail Apocalypse, CNBC reported on Thursday Retailers announce 5,163 store closures in 2019.

CNBC's Courtney Reagan reports on the amount of store closures that are already stacking up in 2019 and how it compares to recent years.

Looks like the next installment of Tales of the Retail Apocalypse will be about either Charlotte Russe or Dollar General.  It also looks like 2019 will see even more stores close than last year.

I've zoomed out from Tesla to general retail.  CNBC's Fmr. Ford CEO: Cost & charging infrastructure will affect electric vehicle adoption takes an even wider view of the economy centered on the auto industry before zooming back in on Tesla.

Mark Fields, senior adviser at TPG Capital and former Ford CEO, on US jobs report.

Fields doesn't see looming recession risk, but that doesn't mean it's not coming, probably sooner than he thinks.

That's it for hybrid and electric car news.  Follow over the jump for the rest of the driving update.


Since it took me 75 days to drive 1000 miles, that means I drove Pearl the Prius AKA The Black Pearl an average of 13.33 miles per day, 406.67 miles per standard month, and 4866.7 miles per year since December 21, 2018.  That's less than the average of 15.95 miles per day, 516.95 miles per standard month, and 6186.4 miles per year I drove her between October 23, 2018 and December 21, 2018 and a lot lower than the 18.87 miles per day, 575.5 miles per standard month, and 6887.6 miles per year I drove during comparable period last year.  Nothing like not driving my car for ten days as I was out of town!

The year-over-year comparison also tells a similar story.  Pearl turned over 38,000 miles on January 25, 2018, 407 days before it passed 45,000 miles for a distance of 7,000 miles.  That's an average of 17.20 miles per day, 524.27 miles per standard month, and 6277.64 miles per year.  That's less than the averages of 17.37 miles per day, 529.78 miles per standard month, and 6,340.0 (actually 6349.95) miles per year I had driven from November 15, 2017 to December 21, 2018.  I'm continuing to reduce my driving, which means that I'm succeeding at what I wrote I was trying to do in my comment on "A Wilderness of Mirrors" at Ecosophia.

When I calculated my ecological footprint for Earth Overshoot Day, it penalized me for eating meat every day, much more than for my driving.  Speaking of which, that's what I advertise on my blog, the effects of my driving, not my eating.  I think showing that I'm trying to reduce my carbon footprint by driving less will be more effective good example than moralizing about my diet.

May I continue to be a good example for my readers.