It looks like Elon Musk has a new group of allies over at the Federal Trade Commission. Writing on the FTC blog, three high-level FTC officials came out against the "protectionist" network of laws in the US that govern automotive dealers and prevent, in some cases, Tesla Motors from selling its cars directly to customers. They called the rules, "bad policy for a number of reasons."
Tesla sales in New Jersey were supposed to end today, following the state legislature vote a few weeks ago to pull Tesla's sales license there. At the eleventh hour, though, Gov. Chris Christie's administration has extended the deadline to April 15. The specifics of the situation are that the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) is going to give new car dealers until the middle of the
National and regional dealership associations have it in for Tesla Motors. For the past few years the organizations have been pushing lawmakers – to whom, it bears mentioning, they have made generous financial contributions – for legislation that would make it difficult for the Californian automaker to continue with its direct-to-consumer, company-store sales model.
Tesla has a special history with the state of New Jersey, having delivered the 500th Roadster there in 2009. Fast forward to 2014, though, and the electric vehicle company is having a decidedly less-positive experience in the Garden State. In short, Tesla's ongoing dealer fight has turned sour,
It's not as exciting as a new concept vehicle, but Tesla came to the Geneva Motor Show with its own bit of news: Europe will soon get more Superchargers, more Tesla stores and more service centers. More of the company's fast-charging stations means it'll be even easier for continental Model S
When we last left the New York auto dealers and their fight against Tesla Motors, there scene was an uneasy ceasefire. The New York State Assembly and its backers from the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association said last summer that they would allow the three currently operating Tesla stores to continue operating but would pick up th
In what could be an important step in taking Tesla Motors' fight with various state auto dealer organizations nationwide, a grassroots petition is calling on the White House to let Tesla Motors sell cars directly to customers. The petition was started by a "K.S." in Stow, MA (CNET Sebastian Blanco
Following his big battery swap reveal in California Thursday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is turning his eye to New York. That's where a new tactic by the local auto dealers could put a damper on Tesla's electric-vehicle success story.
North Carolina is the latest state to line up against Tesla Motors by proposing a bill that would bar direct automaker-to-customer sales within the state, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. Still, Tesla says plans to open a showroom there and has sold about 80 cars to North Carolina residents, with reservations for about 60 more.
Tesla is no stranger to strong resistance, shall we say, from auto dealers to its unusual method of selling the all-electric Model S in certain parts of the US. A lawsuit by the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association was thrown out late last year, but it was later Sebastian Blanco
In this case, NADA certainly doesn't mean "nothing."
Questions about the legality of Tesla selling its electric vehicles in its own retail stores have been floating around since the days of the Roadster. Last week, the recent wranglings between
Tesla is continuing its retail expansion with three new locations set to open over the course of November. This weekend marks the opening of the Bellevue Square center in Washington, followed by Oakbrook Center in Chicago on November 12th and a Fashion Island store in Newport Beach, California on November 18th.
Any AutoblogGreen reader who lives by a Tesla Motors store – or goes near one on vacation – has probably set foot inside and experienced the high-tech, open sales boutique (oh, and the cars). While the eight stores currently open across the U.S. do a fine job of showing off the Roadsters, the road to getting them in place hasn't always been an easy one to pave.
Tesla has, if nothing else, crafted a unique automobile in the Roadster. It's electric, very attractive and highly desirable. Up next, assuming all goes according to plan (a rather big assumption, granted), the Model S sedan will be equally special in the global automotive marketplace.
Tesla Roadster - Click above to view Tesla's revamped website
Tesla store in LA pictures - Click for complete gallery
Tesla NYC story - Click above for high-res image gallery
