On Saturday, customers at a Tesla location in North Hollywood were unmoved by protesters, while showing keen interest in the new Model Y.
At peak customer hours, I estimated there were more customers than protesters at the Tesla store and service center. That included customers in the showroom and customers milling around in the massive lot in North Hollywood. I counted between 15-20 protesters, depending on the hour.
Protesters loud but scripted
As I was waiting to test drive a new Model Y, I checked on the protesters at the front gate. They had the usual signs emblazoned with slogans that made copious use of words like “fascist” and “Nazi” in protest of CEO Elon Musk. But seemed peaceful. However, one woman hurled insults my way for no reason other than she presumed, I suppose, I was a Tesla customer. But that was about it. Customers seemed unfazed by the protesters.
I did witness a Tesla store employee calling the Los Angeles police, who arrived while I was there. In a brief conversation I had with the employee and the police officer, the employee expressed concern about one incident (which I did not witness). She did not elaborate but it obviously had something to do with the protesters. One other thing that was very apparent: if I approached the front gate, security would shadow me to make sure I didn’t interact with the protesters.
New 2026 Model Y draws a crowd
More 2026 Model Y inventory had arrived on the North Hollywood lot (see image above) since my last visit to the store. That was likely the reason for a long line of customers queuing up to test drive or purchase the new Y. I was in one of those long lines waiting for a test drive. But after an hour and a half, I gave up. In fact, Saturday was the busiest I have seen a Tesla store in Los Angeles this year. That includes visits to locations in Canoga Park and Century City.
New Model Y available ‘today’
The Tesla Model Y order page as of Sunday March 30 shows immediate availability for the new Model Y in Los Angeles. Currently, orders are limited to the “Launch” edition, which starts at $59,990 and $52,490 with the federal tax credit. Less-expensive versions of the new Y are expected in April at the earliest. Those versions are expected to include the Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive and Long-Range All-Wheel Drive.