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New York Allows Tesla Direct Sales, New Jersey to Follow

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo put his signature on a document that permits the EV manufacturer to sell its eco-friendly cars directly to consumers located here. Further more, the Assembly recently passed a bill to the Senate allowing Tesla to sell cars through New Jersey dealership showrooms.
Tesla Model S 1 photo
Photo: Tesla
What that means is that the Palo Alto-based startup can keep its five retail outlets in New York, with the possibility to open four more in the future if consumer demand dictates it. Overall, this is a remarkable win over unfriendly dealer lobbyists that pushed for a ban on direct sales for Tesla in the Big Apple.

"New York's franchised auto dealers and manufacturers as well as innovative companies like Tesla are critical to our state's economy, and this bill ensures that both sides will thrive and be able to grow the market for cutting edge zero emission vehicles," declared NY Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In New Jersey's case, that battle is a little different from the one consumed in New York. Before state officials delined to renew Tesla retail licences due to growing pressure from dealer lobbyists, the Garden State was home to serveral operational Tesla dealer showrooms.

Thanks to a handful of more ballsy and apt legislators, a bill that allows the manufacturer to restart direct sales in the state has been moved from Assembly to Senate for vote. Now we have to wait and see if the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, will sign the legislation before becoming law.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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