autoevolution
 

Pennsylvania Allows Tesla Direct Sales

After the Palo Alto-based manufacturer played chicken and won against New York dealership associations in June, Tesla is now allowed to sell the Model S in the 6th most populous state in the U.S.
Tesla Model S 1 photo
Photo: original photo by autoevolution
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania gave its blessing to the American EV manufacturer to open five stores in the state. But the way this happened is a story worth going through. A bill has been passed to Governor Tom Corbett last month, exempting electric vehicles from a state law that forbids companies building these cars to open their own dealerships.

Although Republicans Mark Gillen and Daryl Metcalfe voted against the bill, accusing that it gives Tesla special treatment, the document was signed into law and the jealous dealer associations from Pennsylvania couldn't do anything to stop that. As if that wasn't enough, the legislation doesn't even mention Tesla Motors, but it was tailored for the EV-only automaker.

Nathan Spade, the senior aide to the bill's sponsor Senator John Rafferty, has told Philly that the bill is "a means to provide the consumer with another option" and "a positive addition to the marketplace in Pennsylvania." Unfortunately for potential customers of the Tesla Model S and upcoming Model X, a handful of states are still far away from giving the green light to direct sales.

In New Jersey, Arizona, Texas, Virginia and Maryland, Tesla Motors can inform potential customers about its products, but company employees are prohibited to talk about pricing or sell the Model S sedan.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
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.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories