Tesla: almost at 100000 votes
As you may know, Tesla is under attack from a number of car dealer associations in various states who are challenging Tesla's right to directly serve our customers at Tesla Stores and Service Centers.
Their efforts are protectionist in nature and infringe on the right of the consumer to choose how they purchase and service their vehicle.
An anonymous Tesla enthusiast created a White House petition to allow direct sales of cars to consumers in all states. We want to thank the tens of thousands of fans who have voiced their support and have already signed the petition.
We want this petition to succeed. For that to happen, the petition needs 15,000 more signatures by Friday, July 5, 2013.
Please act now and take a moment to register, sign and forward the petition today!
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/allow-tesla-motors-sell-directly-consumers-all-50-states/bFN7NHQR
24 comments
[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 70.5 ms ] threadOne, he can have his people in Congress sponsor a bill forcing car companies to complete with Tesla instead of trying to lock Tesla out using antiquated laws.
Two, I'm pretty usre he can just use an executive order to make this work. Underhanded, but it can be done.
Now, it doesn't mean that it is all bad, but this is serious debate (and surely not an inappropriate one)
[1] https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/secure-resources-a...
They only reply to the useless petitons and not the real issues like the Snowden Pardon Petiton or Aaron Swartz one.
If there's anything techies should've learned from the SOPA battle, it's that it is possible to make political change when enough people speak out. If you haven't watched aaronsw's talk on stopping SOPA, it's well worth your time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgh2dFngFsg
Regulation merely means to make regular, and this "regulation" makes it so only the biggest and richest car companies be able to sell cars under the guise of "franchised dealerships that are local businesses", that really have very little ability to operate as an independent business.
The laws reguarding dealerships only drive prices up by forcing the existence of a middle man whos only job is to represent the interests of Detroit (ironic, seeing as our cars are made in China and Mexico now, instead of in the US).
tl;dr: Tesla may make cars, but they are the kind of disruption Silicon Valley yerns for.
The state and local regulations, those are where all the heavy lifting is done. There's some utter nonsense there, all brought to you by the parties' respective farm teams.
EDIT: Put another way, I'm a left-leaning moderate, but shit like this makes me want to beatify John Galt.
As a citizen of a backwards, non-free socialist European country, yes, it is.
The franchised dealership model is a failure, the dealerships cant do anything on their own initiative else they may lose the frnachise, and all they do is make it harder for the consumer to make an informed choice on a car purchase, and drives the cost up as well.
States COULD try to override the dealership laws (many states have laws that strengthen the Federal one), but thats like trying to herd cats.
I've read the FTC Commissioner's report on state laws here, and an economic analysis report that both cite state lawmakers as the responsible parties:
1. http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/leary/learystateautodealer.shtm
2. http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/eag/246374.htm
Arizona goes farther, apparently has a law that basically prevents manufacturers from releasing any information which might hurt the negotiating position of dealers. Needless to say, it's being challenged in court. Alliance of Auto Manufacturers v. Hull No. CIV 00-1324-PHX-PGR (D. Ariz. Apr. 30, 2001).
Look at the wording of the petition itself: "States should not be allowed to prevent Tesla Motors from selling cars directly to customer"
That doesn't sound like a federal issue to me.