GM continues to try to stifle competition

[Lanny]

Word is starting to spread about GM's push to legislate Tesla out of Indiana.

Here are some articles published today.

Tesla fights back against anti-store bill 'authored and pushed' by GM

Tesla is asking owners and enthusiasts to help block a bill to ban direct sales in Indiana | Electrek

Indiana Might Shut Tesla Out Of The State −

Tesla: Indiana doesnt go back there : TreeHugger

Lanny

 

[bonnie]

Word is starting to spread about GM's push to legislate Tesla out of Indiana.

Here are some articles published today.

Tesla fights back against anti-store bill 'authored and pushed' by GM

Tesla is asking owners and enthusiasts to help block a bill to ban direct sales in Indiana | Electrek

Indiana Might Shut Tesla Out Of The State −

Tesla: Indiana doesnt go back there : TreeHugger

Lanny

Excellent. I noticed this morning that we had an abnormal number of guests reading this thread (right now, shows 10 members & 57 guests). People are watching. (Oh hey, GM!)

 

[Peter_M]

I just sent this to all the senators in the original post. I don't live in Indiana or even in the USA, but I find this whole thing offensive and baffling.

I signed it as "Tesla owner and believer in free markets".
Who knows if they'll pay any attention, but it can't hurt.

One reply so far:

With ya Peter

Jim Merritt
State Senator

 

[Zaxxon]

Ugh.

 

[bonnie]

Information on the hearing for Indiana owners: Indiana Owners - Alert - Info on Hearing 2/25

Please do whatever you can to attend. If you belong to the local EV group, encourage all EV owners to attend - blocking Teslas hurts adoption, plain and simple. We had folks with Leafs make their way across Tennessee to help in the past.

 

[ekhozindar]

It's mind boggling to me that we have to shame our politicians into doing the right thing. These are republicans! Their whole fundamental ideology is to let free markets do there thing and leave government out of it. The dealership model is obsolete. Antiquated. What do I need a dealership for when I can go to a tesla store, test drive a similar car that I'm interested in, go home, buy it online, and have it delivered to me in 2 weeks. There is literally nothing a dealership can add to my experience except a higher bill. I don't need a salesman's advice on the car. Why would I when I can go online and watch youtube reviews from non biased and more credible personnel instead? I'm so tired of progress taking a back seat for the sake of corruption.

 

[Breezy]

A member at GM-Volt got a response from GM on this issue, reproduced below.

"Hi bro1999,

GM supports HB 1254. GM believes that all industry participants should operate under the same rules and requirements on fundamental issues that govern how we sell, service and market our products.

A benefit of a nationwide network of thousands of dealerships is that General Motors customers never have to worry about driving to another state to buy, service or support their vehicles.

Tesla's insistence on special rules could result in multiple manufacturers competing with similarly capable vehicles and similar price points, yet operating under a different set of rules.

Tesla could open a franchised dealership with an independent operator in Indiana today, but instead they insist that the State must first provide them with unique rules and special exceptions to suit their own business interests. In fact, Tesla was willing to agree to a dealer model in Virginia. The Indiana legislature shouldn't create a special exemption for them here.

Thanks,
Chris
Communications Manager
General Motors Company
25 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20001"

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...-run-dealers-in-Indiana&p=3155114#post3155114

I couldn't disagree more. The rules in Indiana already provide a level-playing field. Let the marketplace decide.

 

[bonnie]

A member at GM-Volt got a response from GM on this issue, reproduced below.

"Hi bro1999,

GM supports HB 1254. GM believes that all industry participants should operate under the same rules and requirements on fundamental issues that govern how we sell, service and market our products.

A benefit of a nationwide network of thousands of dealerships is that General Motors customers never have to worry about driving to another state to buy, service or support their vehicles.

Tesla's insistence on special rules could result in multiple manufacturers competing with similarly capable vehicles and similar price points, yet operating under a different set of rules.

Tesla could open a franchised dealership with an independent operator in Indiana today, but instead they insist that the State must first provide them with unique rules and special exceptions to suit their own business interests. In fact, Tesla was willing to agree to a dealer model in Virginia. The Indiana legislature shouldn't create a special exemption for them here.

Thanks,
Chris
Communications Manager
General Motors Company
25 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20001"

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...-run-dealers-in-Indiana&p=3155114#post3155114

I couldn't disagree more. The rules in Indiana already provide a level-playing field. Let the marketplace decide.

You're exactly right. The GM response tries to spin it that Tesla is asking for some special rules. They are lawfully selling in Indiana today. It's GM asking for special rules to exclude them.

And I continue to be galled by their party line of "General Motors customers never have to worry about driving to another state to buy, service or support their vehicles" -- If GM wasn't lobbying so hard to stop Tesla, they wouldn't be able to benefit in this way. It's the definition of disingenuous.

 

[EVenthusiast]

• Is anyone aware of any attempts in any state to overturn these really old franchise laws? They are obviously outdated, and are the source of the problem.
• A website showing what government official is for/against this, and showing legislation status, would be helpful as well. Anyone aware of such project? A list of enthusiast groups/clubs, filtered by location, would be useful as well.
• Has any polling been done among non-EV drivers to see how they feel about this situation, and if they would like to see it changed?
• Anyone have a good contact at Plug In America? They should have sent out an alert about this, but haven't seen anything. They should at least be at that meeting.
• Last but not least, it might be of interest to set up car pools (or preferable, buses) to shuttle in EV drivers from popular areas. I'd go in a heartbeat if anyone else in the area was going/driving.

 

[Lanny]

More sunlight being shined on GM’s practices.

It's Tesla Vs. GM In Indiana - Yahoo Finance

Tesla Responds To General Motors-Backed Anti Direct Sales Bill In Indiana

'GM authored' anti-Tesla legislation moves forward in Indiana | LeftLaneNews

 

[bonnie]

Love these updates, Lanny. I was also interviewed early this morning by an Indiana publication. (They saw my tweets.)

GM may win some battles through their twisting of the facts or payoffs or whatever ... but the truth comes out.

 

[bonnie]

I was bothered by the clear misdirection and spin used by GM during their Maryland testimony (thank you so much, Lanny, for posting that). There is no way a committee member can know enough about the EV environment to pick up on how they were twisting facts.

So I thought I'd put together a helpful guide for the Indiana committee, when they're listening to GM testimony on Thursday.

 

[SebastianR]

A member at GM-Volt got a response from GM on this issue, reproduced below.
GM supports HB 1254. GM believes that all industry participants should operate under the same rules and requirements on fundamental issues that govern how we sell, service and market our products.

For one, of course Tesla is not insisting on special rules here, it is GM that wants to change the rules. But more interestingly, this sounds like: "I have a massive handicap doing my business - instead of resolving this massive handicap, I insist on everyone having the same massive handicap!" What's next - will Tesla be forced to move their HQ to Michigan? I mean come on, of course Tesla is much more innovative than GM since it is HQed so close Silicon Valley...

 

[HookBill]

GM + Trump + Bully. Enough said.

And to think our government gave billions of dollars to bail them out from bankruptcy only to have them re-emerge as the anti-competitive bully they are now. I want my money back.

- - - Updated - - -

Gm = Trump = Bully

Sorry about that.

 

[FluxCap]

I've got friends from Indiana, going to try to get them involved. They are none too thrilled with their state leadership, either.

Thanks for the effort, Bonnie!

 

[Electroman]

It is interesting that GM states that their dealership model benefits their customers on great servicing, and Tesla customers are handicapped on that. And so out of goodness in their heart they want the law makers to force Tesla also to get the same benefit.

I have never heard of a business entity arguing to change the law so that its competitor can benefit - is that how GM wants the law makers to read this?

Are the law makers in IN that dumb.. or that corrupt ?

 

[Breezy]

I was bothered by the clear misdirection and spin used by GM during their Maryland testimony (thank you so much, Lanny, for posting that). There is no way a committee member can know enough about the EV environment to pick up on how they were twisting facts.

So I thought I'd put together a helpful guide for the Indiana committee, when they're listening to GM testimony on Thursday.

View attachment 112401

I think the story of the EV1 and the Volt should be left out of this discussion. I'm a Volt owner but I still strongly disagree with GM's stance on legislation to stifle competition.

The issue here is not the entire history of automotive electrification, just GM's support of regulation to prevent Tesla (or any other automaker) from selling direct.

 

[bonnie]

GM is the one touting EV-1. Listen to the Maryland testimony and how they bragged about their history of bringing that vehicle to market.

Nothing personal on the Volt (I happen to say good things about it) and I don't want to get into semantics here - but if GM is going to use it as an example of how they 'also' have an electric car on the market, then they need to acknowledge it also has a tailpipe.

 

[chickensevil]

GM is the one touting EV-1. Listen to the Maryland testimony and how they bragged about their history of bringing that vehicle to market.

Nothing personal on the Volt (I happen to say good things about it) and I don't want to get into semantics here - but if GM is going to use it as an example of how they 'also' have an electric car on the market, then they need to acknowledge it also has a tailpipe.

Re-Volt as it relates to the Maryland testimony, one of the reps had a back and forth with GM over that because GM was calling it their Electric Car, and the rep asked does it have an ICE and the guy was like well, no it has a backup generator it is an EV, and the rep was like so it doesn't run on gasoline or cumbust fuel? And the guy was like, well yeah, but it is an EV. So it has an ICE in it? And he was like more like a backup generator...

So they were very much trying to say, look at us we have a true EV, when the Volt is not that. I'm also not trying to hate on the Volt or its owner's, many people are quite happy with them, but in this scope and how they are trying to frame it is misleading and innacurate. In the Volt 1.0 you could go what? 30 miles on electric? I'm sorry but that is not enough range for a lot of people and other than the die hard Volt owners that go out of their way to not spend fuel, most people don't want to inconvenience themselves on not spending gas and 30 miles (even plugging in every day) is not going to hack it (unless you can maybe plug in at work, and at least here in NOVA/DC that isn't most places)

 

[Jopo43]

Yes Indiana lawmakers are that dumb...and corrupt!!! Live Here ....for a while longer