"Trouble in Missouri"

[MrPinrel]

and thanks to Liz G and FlasherZ and the other St Louis Tesla owners for leading the charge on this one!

 

[Botbldr45]

Signed

Sure would be nice to drive from Denver to St Louis without going up thru Chicago. If MO restricts Superchargers, as next devious plot to "Kill the Electric Car" ....... again, that would be a tragedy.

 

[RobStark]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – House Majority Floor Leader John Diehl said Tuesday that legislation aiming to block Tesla Motors from setting up shop in Missouri will likely not be passed in the final days of session. Last week, the Missouri Senate quietly attached language that painted a target on Tesla’s direct sales model. The language, slipped into House Bill 1124, was adopted at the urging of the Missouri Auto Dealers Association, which claimed the electric car company may have been violating the state’s vehicle franchise law.
'
“It’s dead for this year. We’re not going to move House Bill 1124, and I don’t think the Senate is going to try to move it on any other language,” Diehl said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, he held a meeting with officials from Tesla Motors and the Missouri Auto Dealers Association to discuss the bill for “a meeting in my office where they started finding some common ground.”

“They’re going to work on it in the next year and try to find some agreement,” Diehl said.
Diehl added, “The fear here was a company like Tesla would come in and have a franchise, establish that business model that may be acquired by a company that has franchises and it may be a back door.”

Doug Smith, president of the Missouri Auto Dealers Association, said in a statement that the association – which represents more than 400 auto dealers – was “pleased with the progress of the discussions and will continue working on this.”

http://politicmo.com/2014/05/13/anti-tesla-bill-is-dead-in-missouri-says-house-leader/


Sounds like Tesla is negotiating from a position of strength, maybe a "Washington State" compromise is coming?

I know the purist won't like it but it is a good deal for Tesla.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the really great situation for Tesla.

Once Missouri is settled lobbying resources can be better spent elsewhere.

 

[ggies07]

Thanks for the update, but are they really serious that they thought Tesla wanted to create a franchise? Hahaha. Ridiculous.

 

[Liz G]

And here is the reply from my representative Bryan Spencer, whom my husband and I met with yesterday and then left a follow-up email.

- I was informed that the bill will not be coming up for a vote however they will enforce current franchise laws on Tesla. I will be a no vote if it comes up. Thanks for your info and visit. I really did appreciate your info. Spencer -

 

[dsm363]

What does enforcing the current franchise laws mean in Missouri?

 

[ckessel]

Thanks for the update, but are they really serious that they thought Tesla wanted to create a franchise? Hahaha. Ridiculous.

Actually, it was a somewhat reasonable point. If Tesla got bought someday by someone like BMW then suddenly the Tesla stores would become BMW stores and BMW would have company stores now competing with franchise dealers in the area.

 

[Liz G]

What does enforcing the current franchise laws mean in Missouri?

Simply that if a manufacture currently has franchises in the state they cannot compete with those franchises.

 

[RobStark]

What does enforcing the current franchise laws mean in Missouri?

It means nothing since Tesla does not have franchises.

I suppose what MADA is saying is that Tesla can't follow a two prong strategy which is what would be ideal for large automotive companies.

Factory stores in greater St Louis and Kansas City but independent dealers in rural areas.

 

[dsm363]

Simply that if a manufacture currently has franchises in the state they cannot compete with those franchises.

That's fair.

 

[AlMc]

That's fair.

Not only fair but that was why the franchise laws were into law in the first place.

 

[ggies07]

Actually, it was a somewhat reasonable point. If Tesla got bought someday by someone like BMW then suddenly the Tesla stores would become BMW stores and BMW would have company stores now competing with franchise dealers in the area.

oooooh, so they are using "if then" future statements for the present. hahahaha. Rrrrrrrrright. I get that though, but that type of reasoning should not pass for eligibility.

 

[FlasherZ]

Tesla sent its thanks this morning (and used Dave's picture that I forwarded to them) on Twitter:

The "enforcing the current franchise laws" thing brings up an interesting point. So, if at some point in the future, Tesla finds it can't scale the company-store-only model, it would have to immediately close all the stores to open a franchise. Something tells me the dealers would be happy to codify an exception in that case, though.

 

[RobStark]

Actually, it was a somewhat reasonable point. If Tesla got bought someday by someone like BMW then suddenly the Tesla stores would become BMW stores and BMW would have company stores now competing with franchise dealers in the area.

A more likely scenario is what would happen if Tesla buys out somebody like BMW in the future. :wink:

 

[MikeL]

Hooray! Nice job everybody.

Btw, I anticipate we'll need to go thru all this again in Utah, at which time the trailblazing you and others have done will be a greatly appreciated example. Go go tesla!

 

[dsm363]

Make a friend in your state legislative body. Preferably someone on the transportation committee. Give them a ride, donate to their campaign or host a fundraiser at your house for them. Ask them to have their office keep you in the loop on any anti-Tesla legislation NADA tries to sneak through.

 

[Krugerrand]

Doug Smith, president of the Missouri Auto Dealers Association, said in a statement that the association – which represents more than 400 auto dealers – was “pleased with the progress of the discussions and will continue working on this.”

Pfft! How about you try to have a discussion and work on coming to an agreement BEFORE attempting to execute a lowdown, dirty, slime ball, backdoor move?

 

[bonnie]

I love this. Maybe their way of business should NOT survive. That's part of the issue. Lots of things have not survived technology marching forward. Land lines are no longer a given in this cell phone connected age. Mimeograph machines (and that wonderful intoxicating smell!) are long gone. Same thing with carbon copies and secretarial pools to type letters.

“It is interesting to think that if this was a Chinese or Russian start-up auto-manufacturer who were using this model, instead of a ‘media darling’ like Tesla, would the argument increasing a second marketplace other behalf be as passionate? If those modifications to the MVFP are not made, you will see more of this model from manufacturers near and far, and our way of business will not survive,” they wrote.

Tesla, Missouri Auto Dealers begin late battle over state franchise law | PoliticMo

 

[greencharge]

Make a friend in your state legislative body. Preferably someone on the transportation committee. Give them a ride, donate to their campaign or host a fundraiser at your house for them. Ask them to have their office keep you in the loop on any anti-Tesla legislation NADA tries to sneak through.

This should be the PAC, an alliance comprising owners, politicians who are owners, politicians who are enthusiasts, politicians with tesla owners in family and friends. If a PAC of this sorts can be compiled at national and state level it would be a force to deal with politically for the sneaky few .

 

[Zythryn]

This should be the PAC, an alliance comprising owners, politicians who are owners, politicians who are enthusiasts, politicians with tesla owners in family and friends. If a PAC of this sorts can be compiled at national and state level it would be a force to deal with politically for the sneaky few .

Don't PACs, by definition, exclude politicians?