Company Offers New Teslas To Recruit Employees
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Tesla's Model 3 electric car may not hit the streets for another year and a half, but it's not stopping one company from offering the vehicle as a perk to recruit new employees.
The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina reported that Practichem, a scientific instrument startup based in Raleigh, is promising a leased Model 3 to new employees.
Practichem will also lease Model 3's to its existing full-time staff of 15. The company hopes to hire 10 additional employees with the offer.
CEO Nick DeMarco said he sees both his firm and Palo Alto-based Tesla as innovative companies driving change. DeMarco said outside investors support his idea of using Teslas as a recruitment tool.
"We're not trying to say we're just like Tesla and I'm certainly not (Tesla CEO) Elon Musk," DeMarco told the News & Observer. "But we see some similarities."
Billed as Tesla's mass market vehicle, Musk unveiled the Model 3 to the public in late March. More than 325,000 people have placed $1,000 refundable deposits for the cars, which are expected to start at $35,000.
Production of the Model 3 is expected to begin in late 2017.
Tim Fang is a digital producer for CBS San Francisco and a native of the Bay Area. Follow him on Twitter @fangtj.
