Tesla offers concessions to help pass Connecticut bill - Newsday Seems pretty reasonable to me...but CARA doesn't seem to think so.
Limiting Tesla to five stores in Conn is like limiting me to 5 Teslas. It is such a small state I don't think Tesla will ever need more than 5 stores there. Porsche has 5 dealers in Conn and MB has 7 dealers. Some very close to each other.
"Puts 13,000 jobs at risk?" I would like to see them explain exactly how the bill does that. If the dealers think that competition from Tesla will put all of them out of business, perhaps they need to up their game a little bit.
If Tesla has 100% market share in Conn they would have to hire 10,000 people in Conn. Would not need as many service techs charging customers $120/hr though. Don't need fat cat Franchise Dealer owners though.
What a quote from the legislator! Rep. Antonio "Tony" Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, co-chairman of the General Assembly's Transportation Committee, has been holding closed-door discussions with Tesla and auto dealers. "I'm hoping at the end of day that we can come up with something that everyone can live with, or that everyone hates," he said...
So they are assuming that if Tesla is allowed five stores then the major manufacturers will immediately pull all their franchise dealerships and put every worker on the street. Yeah right. Allowing Tesla to have their stores in no way removes the laws that prevents manufacturers from abusing dealerships.
What bothers me the most is when legislators act as if auto dealers have a proprietary interest in how new companies who aren't contracted with them sell their cars. It should literally be none of their business.
Bill allowing Tesla sales in Connecticut clears panel HARTFORD, Conn. - (AP) -- A bill that would allow electric-car maker Tesla Motors to sell directly to Connecticut consumers is accelerating through the legislative process. The General Assembly's Transportation Committee on Wednesday voted 25-to-3 in favor of the proposal, which is expected to be further negotiated as the legislative session continues. If ultimately approved, the bill would take effect on Oct. 1. http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/bill-allowing-tesla-sales-in-connecticut-clears-panel-1.10079025
Lawmakers: Tesla Bill Headed Toward Passagehttp://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-tesla-dealers-20150409-story.html Tesla's lobbyist in Conn says Tesla only has plans to open one store in Conn but I hope final bill allows at least three. Interestingly, Fisker hired a lobbyist in Conn and wants to piggyback onto the Tesla bill and be allowed to sell direct. That would change the wording from all electric to include PHEVs.
Tesla's Push to Sell Directly to Customers Moves Forward in Connecticut Now, a deal has been reached. Tony Guerrera, co-chair of the state's transportation committee, said one part of the compromise is limiting the number of stores Tesla can open. "Right now, we're looking at three stores throughout the state of Connecticut," Guerrera said. "Obviously Tesla wanted more, but half of the pie is better than none of the pie." http://wnpr.org/post/teslas-push-sell-directly-customers-moves-forward-connecticut
Except it's a perfectly reasonable deal in Connecticut, where Tesla will never want more than 5 stores, ever. In New York, the completely bogus deal was to limit Tesla to 4 stores statewide. (Remember that before the dealer's association started causing trouble and whining to the state legislature and the governor, Tesla was allowed an unlimited number of stores in New York.) In the long run, Tesla needs stores in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, Long Island, and Westchester, minimum -- that's 7.