Tesla Cybertruck deliveries picking up in Rockville (Photos)

Here's a rare sighting: A Tesla Cybertruck in the wild without an overpaid influencer behind the wheel. Deliveries of the king of trucks appear to be picking up at the Rockville Tesla facility at 1300 Rockville Pike. A purported halt of Cybertruck deliveries in mid-April due to an accelerator pedal issue clearly has ended, at least here in Maryland. 

There was only one Cybertruck on this car carrier loaded with Teslas, but at least three more could be seen parked on the top level of the facility's garage. It seems that the production numbers of Cybertrucks and Tesla stock are both trending in an upward direction.

Rockville Giant store to add electric vehicle chargers

The Giant at 9719 Traville Gateway Drive will soon add two electric vehicle charging stations outside the store, which is located at the Traville Village Center in Rockville. Giant began a partnership with Volta Charging to provide EV charging stations at its stores in 2020. The alliance was expected to eventually deliver more than 200 charging stations at the Ahold-owned supermarket chain's locations.  

“Providing our shoppers and communities free electric charging services is part of Giant’s larger sustainability efforts,” Giant Food President Ira Kress said in a statement. “We are excited to offer our customers who opt for electric cars the satisfaction of quick and free charging while they shop. It’s a value for our shoppers that also benefits the environment.”

Tesla touts EV tax credit at Rockville store

Tesla is promoting the $7500 electric vehicle tax credit outside its Rockville store at 1300 Rockville Pike. The tax credit provided by President Biden's 2022 Inflation Recovery Act can be challenging to receive if you are not a careful car shopper. A short list of EVs are eligible, if they are made in North America, and if a large-enough portion of their battery components made in the United States. 

New Model 3 and Model Y Teslas are on that list. Interestingly, according to the Associated Press, if you lease instead of buying your EV, you can receive the tax credit on any electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is in your future, whether you like it or not. By 2035, all cars sold in Maryland will have to be electric.

Rivian delivery truck stops traffic in Rockville...literally

The understated Rivian electric truck facility at 1300 Rockville Pike doesn't attract much attention, and the Rivian vehicles are rarely on the lot for long before they are delivered to their owners. But at noon on June 7, 2022, another rare Rivian sighting ended up making quite a scene. 

The 18-wheeler delivering one truck to the facility broke down while entering the driveway, blocking the northbound lanes of Rockville Pike for a short time. Is that an El Cap Granite Rivian? We've only seen Launch Green on-site so far.

Photo via Rockville City police

How do they get a Tesla in and out of an indoor mall Tesla Store? (Video+Photos)

How do they get the Teslas in and out of the Tesla Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall? I always imagined there was a large freight door somewhere beyond the public areas of the mall where cars could enter and exit. But one night recently a Tesla was caught exiting the mall, and was able to go through a regular doorway. Now how do they get combustion engine cars in and out without turning the motor on?

Polestar electric vehicles arrive at new Rockville dealership (Photos)

The Polestar showroom is still under construction at 15401 Frederick Road in Rockville, but the first significant inventory of Polestar 2 electric vehicles has arrived on-site. Previously, individual owners could take delivery of their vehicles at this location; this is the first time that vehicles have been parked outside the dealership. 

A Polestar logo obelisk has also been erected near the street, and a logo has been placed on a fence at the side of the showroom. Previously, like the new Rivian facility down Rockville Pike, the dealership property has had no signage to indicate its existence alongside a Volvo showroom. The Polestar 2 vehicles on display are in Snow, Midnight and Thunder colors.

Rivian truck spotted at Rockville Rivian facility (Photos)

The parking lot at the new Rivian facility on Rockville Pike is usually empty, save for the flatbed trucks used to deliver the new electric pickup trucks to their owners. Trucks are picked up for delivery as quickly as they arrive here. But one of the fast-moving EV pickups was finally caught on-site yesterday. 

There was an intriguing sign on the dashboard, which instructs delivery drivers in capital letters to unbuckle the truck's seatbelt after loading. I can't find any explanation online for that, but it clearly must be important, and it would be interesting to know why. It's too early for Guardian Mode on this Rivian. 

The tonneau cover was closed over the pickup bed. I think this truck is in Launch Green. Has anyone seen a Limestone yet? I'm partial to Rivian Blue myself.

Rivian starts trucking at new Rockville facility (Photos)

Rivian made big news by raising prices on its electric vehicles yesterday, even for those who had pre-ordered under the previous price points, before backtracking today amid order cancellations. There is Rivian news closer to home here in Rockville, though. A Rivian facility has just been established at 1300 Rockville Pike. This was previously the BMW of Rockville dealership.

Flatbed trucks used to deliver
Rivian vehicles to buyers

Don't plan to visit just yet. The facility is currently being used to fulfill delivery orders for vehicles to purchasers in our area, and signs warn that the property is to be entered by "Employees Only." Those flatbed trucks you see in the photos here are used to deliver the vehicles directly to owners' homes. Also on-site: a surveillance robot, whose blue light can be seen as you approach on the Pike.

Blue light special: the Rivian
facility is under surveillance by
this camera robot out front

Aside from delivery and service functions, there are no consumer-facing operations here yet. There are currently no Rivian vehicles visible on-site, no Rivian Experience Center showroom, and no Rivian signage. But if you live nearby and haven't canceled your R1T or R1S order, this is where your vehicle will arrive first before it is brought to you on one of these flatbed trucks. Three major EV brands now have a presence in Rockville: Tesla, Polestar and Rivian.

Tesla rival Polestar opens first Washington D.C.-area dealership in Rockville

The electric car age is fully upon us, and Montgomery County auto buyers are finding each year is bringing more options to the market. Polestar, a Swedish rival to Tesla, has just opened a location at 15401 Frederick Road in Rockville, just north of Gude Drive. This is on the site of the DARCARS Volvo dealership. That's not surprising, because Polestar is partly owned by Volvo.

Polestar is most strongly promoting its Polestar 2 sedan. It looks like a cross between a Volvo electric, a Tesla, and a hint of Lincoln at the rear. It goes 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. The company also offers something Tesla won't for another couple of years, a sports coupe called the Polestar 1. A Polestar 3 is anticipated to be built in America, and the company recently announced plans to go public.

Like Tesla, the company provides a different retail experience than traditional automakers. Its sites are called Spaces, not "dealerships," and are designed to look like exhibit-filled museums rather than sales floors. Polestar doesn't have the wide network of proprietary supercharger sites that Tesla owners enjoy. But unlike Tesla owners, you can charge up at standard charging stations wherever you find them. Kudos to Polestar for touting Rockville's "bustling restaurants and shops surrounding a traditional town square with its manicured lawn" in its promotional materials for the space.

Photos courtesy Polestar