GM: Tesla shouldn't get 'special rules' in Indiana

With the Indiana state legislature set to discuss HB1254 this week, the battle lines are being drawn. The bill would prevent automakers from selling their vehicles direct to the public. Since Indiana currently allows Tesla to sell its cars there, the law is worded in such a way that it puts a time limit on this license and then does not allow a company to renew the license. You can read more background on the bill here.

As we said yesterday, with the Chevy Bolt EV and the Tesla Model 3, these two very different companies are finally going to be in competition with each other (no, the Cadillac ELR doesn't count), and GM communications manager Chris Meagher's note to AutoblogGreen makes it clear that this competition is what's pushing GM to take a stand against Tesla. Meagher would not tell what role, if any, GM played in authoring the bill (as Tesla accuses it of doing), but did say that the Detroit automaker supports the bill. The statement Meagher sent reads as follows:

GM supports HB 1254. GM believes that all industry participants should operate under the same rules and requirements on fundamental issues that govern how we sell, service and market our products.
A benefit of a nationwide network of thousands of dealerships is that General Motors customers never have to worry about driving to another state to buy, service or support their vehicles.
Tesla's insistence on special rules could result in multiple manufacturers competing with similarly capable vehicles and similar price points, yet operating under a different set of rules.
Tesla could open a franchised dealership with an independent operator in Indiana today, but instead they insist that the State must first provide them with unique rules and special exceptions to suit their own business interests. In fact, Tesla was willing to agree to a dealer model in Virginia. The Indiana legislature shouldn't create a special exemption for them here.

We'll keep watching this one, for sure.

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