Texas GOP Endorses Tesla's Direct Sale Approach

Since 2013, Tesla Motors has pleaded unsuccessfully with lawmakers to allow Texans to buy its electric cars without a middleman dealer.

Last week, though, the carmaker won endorsement by state GOP convention delegates of letting consumers buy cars directly from manufacturers. It was an important victory for Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, and one that showed there may be a weak link in the seemingly impenetrable army of auto dealers that has kept the California company from making major inroads in Texas.

Nearly 90 percent of the more than 8,000 delegates supported the Tesla-backed language in the party platform.
 

nguyenvuminh - 5/28/2016 1:20:06 PM

+2 Boost

That's surprising news. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't TX one of the states being considered by Tesla for one of their large plants? If that is true, maybe corporate-money talks just as loudly in TX as elsewhere. As for the existing regulations regarding Tesla.

"...consumers may look at Tesla cars in the company’s three “galleries” in Dallas, Houston and Austin, but can’t test drive them without an appointment...". and

"...In Texas, shoppers can test drive a Tesla only on Thursdays through Saturdays and only if the company first obtains a test drive event permit..."

How weird is that?