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Shipping vehicles manufactured in TX out of state so that they can then re-enter the state to be "picked up" (vs. delivered) will add some measure of cost (even if abstracted from the consumer) and delay.
Hopefully they'll be able to just process the paperwork out of state or find some loophole which will allow them to avoid such a crazy and inefficient process.
I’ve wondered the same thing… if the truck has to physically cross the border, or if this will just turn into a paperwork process.
I don't think it's Ford, GM, etc. I think it's the auto dealers. They portray themselves as a family business (even naming the dealers) but most a part of very large auto groups with very deep pockets. Any manufacturer gets in without using a dealer will slowly chip away at the dealers.
California does not facilitate this process. Vehicles registering California must pay California taxes, no 'temporary tag' exists in CA. Nevada has them and many other Staes too, but not California. That is why only California residents take delivery at Fremont. If your local taxes are 7.5% or more then California is fine since you'll only need to pay for tags, but not incremental taxes. Generally, that is, each State and some subordinate jurisdictions have their own rules.
It is Ford and GM as much as the auto dealers. At the last Texas house committee hearing on a Tesla sales bill, I think in 2017, both the auto manufacturers trade group and GM testified against the bill. That was the same year GM lobbyists killed a bill in the Maryland legislature liberalizing the sales law for Tesla. Reading between the lines, their position basically came down to “if we have to be stuck with selling thru dealers, Tesla should have to sell thru dealers too.”
The bill was killed by leaving it in committee to appease the dealers and manufacturers with deep pockets. It’s not coming back in a special session.
