On March 8th it was reported they wouldn't be able to exit many of their store leases.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/landlords-to-tesla-youre-still-...
https://www.wsj.com/articles/landlords-to-tesla-youre-still-...
Even if it was that, seems risky to want to do it knowing it's going to make you look more broadly.
Apple/Nike/Target, sure. Tesla, no.
This is how the conversation with the landlord would probably go:
Tesla: We're going to close our store in your mall.
Landlord: Good luck with that. Next month's rent is due in a week.
Tesla: But we're closing our store...
Landlord: You signed a multi-year lease without an early cancellation clause. I don't care if you're closing the store, you still owe me rent for the remainder of the lease. You can pay it as due or buy out your for X% of the aggregate remaining amount. [where X is some obscenely large percentage approaching 100% because the landlord has Tesla over a barrel and doesn't need to offer a discount].
Given the flip-flopping, I'm unsure how much we can assume they understand.