There are 17 service centres in operation across the region, including the UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway Switzerland and the UK, prioritising countries with electric vehicle incentives.

New additions – of which 26 have been confirmed on Tesla’s website – will bolster the UK’s network to three sites ahead of right hand drive Model S imports which are due to begin shortly. This will add service centres with galleries in Birmingham and Manchester, with the manufacturer hoping to attract a fleet-heavy sales mix.

Elsewhere in Europe, it will establish Tesla service networks in France, Italy and Sweden. The carmaker delivered 22,477 vehicles during 2013, and said it expects combined sales in Asia and Europe to be almost twice as high as North America, where most vehicles have sold so far.

The Model S is Tesla’s first mass-market electric vehicle, it’s slightly larger than a 5 Series and features a large battery located under the cabin to offer a range of 300 miles. Using the carmaker’s network of Supercharger fast charging units, drivers are able to travel long distances with no fuel charge, and Tesla is planning Europe-wide coverage by the end of 2014. Unusually, the company owns its own retail network rather than using franchisees, comprising shopfront-like galleries located in high footfall shopping malls.