So in reading about the close call with dealers nearly getting Tesla banned in WA, Tesla getting blocked in NJ, Ohio, Texas, and other states... state by state, we need to get ahead of the curve. Get proactive. Rather than learning about these dealer sneak attacks after the fact, discovering padded pockets of *every* Legislator, skating some quietly worded bill by while no one is looking... we should look at the states most "at risk" and quickly get groups of local owners together, beyond the letters you/we can all write, we need to stage rallies at the capitals of each state. Take legislators out for test drives. Create Q and A literature to hand out. Show them public polls on the subject. The better service and experience we have received. Encourage them to go to Tesla HQ and get a factory tour of this great American (capitalist) company. To get in front of them, personally, sooner than too late. Get together with you local TM Owner's group and start now. Often just simple acts of a group showing up can have big impact. Get your local news media involved too. Ultimately, every state is at risk, but some more than others. Thinking nationally, what are the top 10 states at risk? Which ones can we have the most influence on? Are some states more strategic to target first, in terms of public awareness or future legal impact? Other leverage points?
This is an excellent idea! I can share that I was able to let the Mayor of our suburb ride along in our Model S after we took delivery in Jan 2013. She was already a big supporter of conservation policies but this made it quite clear how awesome the Model S was. Granted, this was only a local government official and not really evidence of the above suggestion working to combat the NADA. However, there's evidence that getting the Model S in front of Legislators actually helps our case...strongly. If there were people willing to compile this data as an easy package to download and share, now we would have something!
Here's something to use as an argument. It's an article in today's MarketWatch titled "How car dealers get you to spend more": How car dealers get you to spend more - MarketWatch
This thread needs momentum! Check out the compilation of similar info. on this thread that I started last year. Help Me Guide Local Government On Installing Chargers Creating EV Friendly Policies