WASHINGTON - Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors, maker of the Tesla Roadster, opened a new showroom in the nation's capital on Feb. 10. Customers can now visit the location for test drives.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs and EV powertrain components. Tesla has delivered more than 1,500 Roadsters to customers in North America, Europe and Asia. The Tesla Roadster can travel 245 miles on a single charge and can be plugged into nearly any outlet in the world.

Tesla's Model S, now undergoing testing, is due to begin production next year.

"Roadsters have driven more than 9 million miles around the world, saving close to 25,000 barrels of oil, and are truly leading the charge in electric vehicle technology," said Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla's vice president for business development. "We're excited to bring this spirit of innovation to the nation's capital."

The D.C. showroom, located at 1050 K St. N.W. is Tesla's 16th store worldwide. The K Street location will also serve as a service station and regional hub for Tesla's mobile service squad. Technicians, known as Tesla Rangers, travel to customers' homes to perform annual inspections, firmware upgrades and other services.