Tesla sales banned in New Jersey

That'll be Governor Christie giving the middle finger to the supposed liberals who buy electric cars. Not to mention a poke in the eye for Obama for daring to promote green technology by loaning funds to Tesla.

 

I wonder how long for this debate to get national attention.

 

It means that Tesla has to sell through a franchised dealer in NJ instead of selling them direct.

 

Actually it is the result of the lobbying efforts on behalf of dealers who have an interest in maintaining their right to sell cars without direct competition. Imagine a manufacturer's showroom and direct order from the factory with efficiencies of not having to inventory except at one point. Can you say undercut any dealer. So the local Chevy etc. dealers got the law. If Tesla can do it why not GM? Do you think campaign contributions will be expected?

 

It's New Jersey!

Here's just a small sample of the corrupt politicians that got caught:
15 most corrupt politicians in N.J. history | NJ.com

 

...well take the bad with the good, believe NJ has one the best EV incentives: pretty good sales tax exemption.

 

They missed a few.

 

You can't pump your own gas in New Jersey either.

Bob Wilson

 

It's happened in different eras for different reasons.

They "featherbedded" railroad conductors and brakemen, when technology made them less necessary.

Eventually, New Jersey will pay the price, as more and more entities will NOT do business there.

They tried to ban cars to support the "buggy whip" lobby. We know what happened there. Where do you find and buy a buggy whip?

 

Nah, it means you have to cross a bridge to buy a Tesla.

That may not be an easy feat in Land of Christie, but Tesla owners are committed.

 

Can you charge your own electricity in New Jersey? Maybe that's why they're afraid. (Sarcasm, I hope)

 

IANAL but I come to same conclusion as you, that this is not anti-Tesla per se, but an attempt to keep direct marketing out of state.

I can understand the dealership owners: they invested in their franchises and it is not fair for the manufacturer to compete. I just wish there was an exclusion for companies like Tesla that never had a dealer network.

 

There are already laws on the book that protect franchise dealers from corporate ones. Those trying to push Tesla out are afraid they might lose that protection for their poor service and price gouging if the consumer gets a taste of fairness.

We need to reframe the debate by asking a simple question. Should McDonald's franchise owners be able to insist that Wendy's only open franchise restaurants when they never had a franchise system? A yes answer makes the person anti-capitalist at the very least.

 

There is general agreement in the Tesla forums and among the people who attended the meeting that this is just an interpretation of an existing law rather than the enactment of a wholly new law. Not great for Tesla, but not exactly what the headlines imply either. Tesla had largely been operating under the radar to this point and it is now up to the courts to decide if this interpretation is reasonable.

 

This means basically 2 things:

1. Great franchise opportunity in the Garden State.
2. Good opportunity for people to distort facts.

I'm against the principle of inhibiting direct sales, but I don't live in Joisey so it's not my fight.
I'm pretty sure that people who want to get a Tesla will be smart enough to find a way.
It'll be interesting to read all of the headlines.
"Christie Crushes Green Cars-----Unplugs Tesla!!!"

 

Duno . . . . but what I'd be curious to find out is whether or not Jersey has an initiative (propositions) system whereby the people can bypass constipated political processes.
According to the related stories, Ohio is looking to join to auto nice person'n blockade.
.

 

No I don't think anyone else has CA style propositions. NJ is a union state, with very strong unions. The head of the senate is a union organizer I used to grapple with over power plant projects as a concerned citizen. I do see NJ as a vibrant concerned citizen opportunity, but I don't see how to start on this. I think they'd need to go to North Jersey to find support from the more affluent more populous part of the state.

 

NJ isn't a large state. Getting out of it for the purchase of something the scale of a new car isn't going to be difficult. There are Tesla stores in Pennsylvania that I know of off hand.

Are they hoping to increase toll revenue through Tesla buyers to help offset the sales tax money lost to people shopping in Delaware?