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We the People Petition on Tesla Motors

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Response To Tesla Motors White House Petition

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/re...source=wethepeople&utm_content=tesla-response

A pretty disappointing response that seems like a total copout without addressing any of the real issues. Takeaway quote:

"But as you know, laws regulating auto sales are issues that have traditionally sat with lawmakers at the state level."

The laws are clearly anticompetitive and likely in violation of federal statute.
 
The president cannot make law. Only Congress can. The courts can interpret. Of course the president can lobby Congress. So can you. Write your US senators and representatives. If they pass a law, then the president can enforce it.
 
The president cannot make law. Only Congress can. The courts can interpret. Of course the president can lobby Congress. So can you. Write your US senators and representatives. If they pass a law, then the president can enforce it.
 
I'm sorry, but that was all a bunch of bull****, especially this part:

We are already making significant progress in promoting vehicle efficiency: new vehicle fuel economy has increased by 12% since 2008 and consumers now can choose from five times more car models with a combined city/highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or more, compared to just five years ago. In December 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that model year 2012 vehicles achieved an all-time high fuel economy, after increasing seven of the last eight years.

The President has taken historic action to spur more consumer choice -- saving consumers money at the pump and reducing our dependence on oil. Here are some of the ways we're helping to encourage the future generation of energy-efficient cars:

And why is it a bunch of BS? Because we all know here that the most efficient car now is an EV and to actually save money and get off our dependence of oil is through an EV. What a response. And state level eh? They seem to not want to bother Congress about this....hahaha. wow.
 
Response to We the People Petition on Tesla Motors

Response to We the People Petition on Tesla Motors

By Dan Utech, Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change

Thanks for your We the People petition. We're excited about the next generation of transportation choices, including the kind of electric vehicles that Tesla and others have developed. These companies are taking steps to help spur innovation in the promising area of advanced batteries and electric automobiles. Vehicle electrification and other advanced technologies are vital components of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, and his commitment to addressing climate change and reducing carbon pollution, in addition to reducing our dependence on oil.

But as you know, laws regulating auto sales are issues that have traditionally sat with lawmakers at the state level.

We believe in the goal of improving consumer choice for American families, including more vehicles that provide savings at the pump for consumers. However, we understand that pre-empting current state laws on direct-to-consumer auto sales would require an act of Congress.

We are already making significant progress in promoting vehicle efficiency: new vehicle fuel economy has increased by 12% since 2008 and consumers now can choose from five times more car models with a combined city/highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or more, compared to just five years ago. In December 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that model year 2012 vehicles achieved an all-time high fuel economy, after increasing seven of the last eight years.

The President has taken historic action to spur more consumer choice -- saving consumers money at the pump and reducing our dependence on oil. Here are some of the ways we're helping to encourage the future generation of energy-efficient cars:

In 2012, the Obama Administration finalized groundbreaking standards that will increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025. These standards will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump and reduce U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels. And this spring, we also released standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, a move that will save vehicle owners and operators an estimated $50 billion in fuel, and save a projected 530 million barrels of oil. You can learn more about that here.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has a loan program to help spur the kinds of innovation needed to create the future of transportation. In fact, Tesla's electric car won the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year while repaying its DOE loan 9 years early and earning the taxpayers about $17 million in profit. And DOE's loan to Ford Motor Company to upgrade 13 factories across six states and to upgrade the fuel efficiency of a dozen popular vehicles has supported 33,000 jobs across the United States.
In September 2013, DOE awarded $45 million in funding for 38 new projects that to improve fuel efficiency, lower transportation costs, and protect the environment. The 38 new projects support the goals of the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, a public-private initiative to make EVs as affordable and convenient to own and drive as gasoline-powered vehicles within 10 years. Also as part of EV Everywhere, DOE has launched the Workplace Charging Challenge , with a goal of achieving a tenfold increase in the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging for plug-in electric vehicles in the next five years.
As these initiatives show, the Administration is in favor of fostering competition in the market to help spur the kinds of innovation needed to support ongoing U.S. leadership in vehicle manufacturing and a potential range of new technologies.

Again, thank you for your petition.

Tell us what you think about this response and We the People.

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I found the response patronizing & sent them a note. Should have had the FTC respond instead.

I did criticize the lack of political courage by the White House through their follow-up questionnaire. However as I suggested a year ago, the petition was too Tesla specific to expect a direct positive response from the White House. Earlier this year I did write the FTC and asked them to respond instead. They did, and I believe quite well. I suspect the president had an invisible hand in that. In any event, after a year the White house must have felt obligated to clear the petition out of the unanswered file, and did so in a less than inspired fashion.

When Mr. Obama represented my state in the US Senate, I sent him a number of emails. Most of the time it was obvious that he answered me personally rather than through a boilerplate. He did not avoid controversy and was willing to overturn roadblocks. In this case, he does not seem to be the same person.
 
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The president cannot make law. Only Congress can. The courts can interpret. Of course the president can lobby Congress. So can you. Write your US senators and representatives. If they pass a law, then the president can enforce it.

His complete failure to use the "bully pulpit" to advocate a solar electric economy has just cost the Democratic party my vote.

While I am completely aware of "states rights" and the legislative process, I expect great leadership from an American President. This is not great leadership.
 
The president cannot make law. Only Congress can. The courts can interpret. Of course the president can lobby Congress. So can you. Write your US senators and representatives. If they pass a law, then the president can enforce it.

Curt, you are politically savvy. The White House certainly could have come out with a more ringing endorsement of EVs and a direct sales choice without endorsing Tesla per se. Their commerce department had stronger language about these dealership models actually being harmful to the consumer instead of protecting them than the President who should be giving the people a voice at the executive level. The President, and his advisors, must see the overwhelming public outcry for direct sales. He is not running again. Seems like not only the correct thing to do but the overwhelming popular one as well.