New Hinsdale Dealership To Sell Used Electric Cars

HINSDALE, IL — A Hinsdale dealership is planning another one next door. But the village president wants to make sure the other property is not used as storage for the existing car lot, saying the village was looking for another sales tax-generating business.

Two years ago, Land Rover Hinsdale, which was at 300 E. Ogden Ave., began the process of moving one door down to 336 E. Ogden Ave. Village officials offered Land Rover tax incentives because the business said it would move to another town. Part of the tax incentive agreement, officials said, would be that the next-door lot wouldn't be used for storage.

The new dealership will be a branch of Naperville's Current Automotive, which has a similar ownership structure to Land Rover's. The dealership plans to specialize in electric cars that are used, high end and plug-in.

The issue came up at this week's Village Board meeting because Land Rover had built an unapproved access road between the two businesses.

Village President Tom Cauley said officials wanted to make sure Current Automotive's lot won't be used to store Land Rovers and Jaguars, which are also sold at Land Rover.

"I have to tell you that my first thought was when there was a road connecting the two properties that it was going to be used as a storage facility, and that's not going to happen," he said.

Land Rover's Kevin Jacobs replied that his dealership had no plans to use Current Automotive as a storage lot. He said the building would be used as a detailing facility and photography studio for the high-end electric cars. He added that Naperville's dealership is the first one to specialize in used plug-in electric cars.

The new location, Jacobs said, is ideal because of the area's clientele. The dealership hoped to sell 50 cars a month, most of them Teslas, he said.

The village board took no action on the issue, with officials saying they could do so at a meeting in two weeks.

Over the last year, residents have complained about the Land Rover dealership's lack of promised landscaping. But officials said at this week's meeting that those issues were recently resolved.