Trouble in NC: Senate Bill 327

[clea]

bizjournals put out a poll asking

Should Tesla be allowed to sell cars directly in North Carolina?

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/poll/results/11780832

 

[carrerascott]

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/poll/results/11780832

So far 99% of voters (over 800 votes thus far) says Yes. Ha. So where's the REPRESENTATION here? Isn't that what lawmakers are supposed to be doing?

 

[Citizen-T]

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/poll/results/11780832

So far 99% of voters (over 800 votes thus far) says Yes. Ha. So where's the REPRESENTATION here? Isn't that what lawmakers are supposed to be doing?

Apparently they got it backwards, they should have unanimously voted against the bill (1300+ votes now, same result).

 

[Krugerrand]

Not that it really matters, but you might want to vote...

It always matters regardless of the end result.

 

[carrerascott]

2151 votes now, 98% pro tesla (1% anti)

 

[dflye]

Well, seems all the the legislature has accomplished so far is getting more press time for Tesla!

Tesla service center in Raleigh portends NC showroom | Technology | NewsObserver.com

Also liking this tidbit about potential for seeing a showroom at some point:

If sales trajectories here continue, Tesla officials say, North Carolina could get a Tesla showroom as early as next year.

 

[Citizen-T]

Well, seems all the the legislature has accomplished so far is getting more press time for Tesla!

Tesla service center in Raleigh portends NC showroom | Technology | NewsObserver.com

Also liking this tidbit about potential for seeing a showroom at some point:

We knew about this, it will be at the Southpoint Mall: Careers | Tesla Motors

 

[dflye]

We knew about this, it will be at the Southpoint Mall: Careers | Tesla Motors

Doh, thanks for pointing that out, hadn't checked the various 'store' threads for a while so didn't realize we were officially in queue at this point. That would be a good location when compared with Crabtree or Triangle Town Center as far as parking / congestion goes.

 

[Citizen-T]

Doh, thanks for pointing that out, hadn't checked the various 'store' threads for a while so didn't realize we were officially in queue at this point. That would be a good location when compared with Crabtree or Triangle Town Center as far as parking / congestion goes.

I like the choice of Southpoint. I always thought it would be between that and North Hills. North Hills is frequented by higher income shoppers, but Southpoint is frequented by more shoppers. Looks like George wanted the foot traffic to start building up desire for Gen III.

 

[Yuri_G]

Well, seems all the the legislature has accomplished so far is getting more press time for Tesla!

Tesla service center in Raleigh portends NC showroom | Technology | NewsObserver.com

Also liking this tidbit about potential for seeing a showroom at some point:

It says that Musk is travelling to Raleigh to testify, as well. Might have to stop by for that!

 

[bollar]

Leilani Münter: Why We Need to Fight for Tesla

The comments are great. Note it has 1300 shares to Facebook!

 

[ModelS8794]

Leilani Münter: Why We Need to Fight for Tesla

The comments are great. Note it has 1300 shares to Facebook!

Was she driving Elons car?

 

[carrerascott]

Just shared on my FB. Friend already shared it.

 

[Plug Me In]

Anybody know of any upcoming activity/debate etc. with this bill? I'm driving to NC next week to visit my Mom and considering stopping off in Raleigh. Interesting side note, I looked up the bill on the NC Senate website and noted that one of the co-sponsors is my Mom's representative. He also happens to be a high school acquaintance of mine.

 

[Jonathan Hewitt]

Anybody know of any upcoming activity/debate etc. with this bill? I'm driving to NC next week to visit my Mom and considering stopping off in Raleigh. Interesting side note, I looked up the bill on the NC Senate website and noted that one of the co-sponsors is my Mom's representative. He also happens to be a high school acquaintance of mine.

It sounds like you have a mission that you WILL choose to accept!

 

[NotTarts]

TSLA shows off Tesla S P85 to N.C. lawmakers - Charlotte Business Journal

The high-end electric car from Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) was on display near the Raleigh legislative building, where company executives were lobbying against a bill that would further restrict car manufacturers from selling directly to consumers, the only way Tesla moves its vehicles.

N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis took the Tesla for a 20-minute spin and declared that “the pickup is unreal.” He also said there would have to be a “strong case” to not allow Tesla to sell in North Carolina, according to a report from the TBJ.

In fact, Tillis said “we should be encouraging” companies like Tesla, which develops and now manufactures nearly all aspects of the car in the United States.

 

[Packprowler]

TSLA shows off Tesla S P85 to N.C. lawmakers - Charlotte Business Journal

Like many of you before me here, I just heard about this thru Triangle Business Journal. I'm absolutely appalled that it was even introduced, and NOW has been passed by the Senate. House Speaker Tillis is absolutely correct that "we should be encouraging" companies like this. Not just here in NC, but all across the US. So NOW is the time, fellow NCians to raise hell with your House representatives to defeat this bill. This is nothing more than political cronyism at its worst.
And I fervently hope that if the House is dumb enough to pass this, that Tesla will file a federal lawsuit against the state.

 

[brianstorms]

Triangle Business Journal posts a follow-up article about the results of the poll. Wildly in favor of Tesla, as we already knew.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2013/05/29/nc-tesla-poll-overwhelming-support.html

I must've voted about 12 times, 4 times each with Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, over about 4 hours during the day. Very dumb polling software that forgot your browser cookie pretty quickly. Vote early and often, I say

 

[voidptr]

Now while they're trying to make it impossible to buy a Tesla, they're going to charge you more for the privilege of driving one if you do get your hands on it:

http://consumerist.com/2013/05/29/north-carolina-drivers-could-face-additional-fee-for-going-green/

 

[ckessel]

Now while they're trying to make it impossible to buy a Tesla, they're going to charge you more for the privilege of driving one if you do get your hands on it:

http://consumerist.com/2013/05/29/north-carolina-drivers-could-face-additional-fee-for-going-green/

EVs aren't paying gas tax which is much of what funds road repair, so a separate tax isn't unreasonable, though I think the gas tax is becoming obsolete and how we fund roads needs to be rethought. Gas was a reasonable proxy for a tax on road use, but as vehicles shift to other power sources like electricity the gas tax becomes a poor proxy.