I'm curious whether retail presence matters that much - their current clientele seems to be motivated enough that even if they sold exclusively via Web site, with subsequent delivery in person, they would still have a waiting line.
Those pesky laws generally prohibit direct sales, not service of the vehicles, so Tesla would still be able to open a full-blown service location, and direct any potential new buyers online.
>their current clientele seems to be motivated enough
Their current clientele is a small population of wealthy trend-setters and early adopters. It's unlikely Tesla will ever sell 500,000 units per year over the internet, without a retail location.
Those pesky laws generally prohibit direct sales, not service of the vehicles, so Tesla would still be able to open a full-blown service location, and direct any potential new buyers online.