Tuesday Nov 3, a House committee declined to take up a one-paragraph amendment pushed by the Ohio Auto Dealers Association that would have blocked Tesla’s business model by prohibiting an automaker from owning an auto dealership. Dealers wanted to stick the amendment into a noncontroversial bill that would require drivers to move over when approaching a road-maintenance vehicle. But with Tesla representatives pushing hard, the committee passed the bill yesterday without amendments. Full Story in Columbus Dispatch With this news Tesla has announced they will be opening a store at 4005 The Strand West in the Easton town center.
Kinda sounds like what the auto industry did to Preston Tucker. About a month ago I saw my first Tesla on the street.
I keep thinking they are Infinitis. I am really happy they didn't enact that law, car dealerships are an antiquated way to sell cars. I should be able to go to any manufacturer's website and order exactly what I want and have it delivered. Having to choose from dealer stock is a total pain and most of the time you end up with something that isn't exactly what you want. Even with my MINI I had to argue with the dealer sales people to let me order the car the way I wanted it. Kill a layer in the process and reduce my price a bit, now if only we could find something else for all the dealer people to do we could move forward, but alas their lobbying prevents that not that I am angry that buying a new car gives them money that they use to lobby to remain in existence
Those cars will still need a local presence. Those dealer folks could work for the manufacturer at the delivery & service points. It is not like you could order online & have your new spec'd like you want car delivered by drone.
I see a few Tesla's ever time I go to our local Cars and Coffee. I have seen 2 big sedans (Model S) and the little one (Roadster) that looks like a Lotus Elise mated with a ugly Saturn Sky. They are kind of cool but I need to hear the motor roar in a car.
Lotus designed the body and built the chassis. A lot of interesting information here: http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/lotus-position In the SF Bay Area, the Tesla sedan has become the top selling car in its segment (luxury sedans over $60K), taking sales away from BMW 5 Series and Mercedes. I see several of them every day.
Drove a roadster for work over the summer... It was an electrical engineer's (go figure). We replaced some bushings and just did a little maintenance work. It was incredibly fast and had the governors' taken off of it... Electric motor + no safeties = neck snapping torque. It was fun until the battery got low...
I stopped in at the dealership last Friday while out shopping. Its a pretty sharp car, but for $70K, I want to be able to take it on a long roadtrip if needs be, and the 300 miles just wont do it. The salesman was super nice, and the car is surprisingly comfy. If I was in the market for an electric and had that kind of scratch to spend, then it would be a serious contender. However, I am not in the market for an electric and I in no way have that kind of scratch to blow on a nifty whizbang of a gadget. LOL, whizbang, thats a funny word!:biggrin5:
The 300 mile range for an electric is very good. That being said your mileage may vary as they say. Under ideal conditions maybe, but in the real world do we ever have ideal conditions? An inexpensive city car with good range would sell like hot cakes. Mmm hot cakes..... :drool
Like he said that's a lot... I get a little more than that per tank in the R55 The reviews online are really entertaining for those cars.
Tesla retail model faces new legal challenge in Ohio Ohio new-car dealers aren’t giving up in their fight with Tesla Motors Inc. After a dealership licensing amendment to block Tesla from selling vehicles in the state wasn’t taken up by state legislators earlier this month, dealers are now suing several parties to have Tesla’s retail license nullified, the Columbus Dispatch reported today. Tesla, the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles are being sued. The plaintiff list includes Midwestern Auto Group in Dublin, Ohio, and Ricart Automotive Group, Groveport, Ohio, the Dispatch said. The automaker has faced opposition from dealers across the country who resent Tesla’s plans to sell directly to consumers. Tesla opened its first Ohio store earlier this month at the Easton Town Center mall in Columbus. Tesla, which also has a service center in Columbus, said it has plans to open another store in Cincinnati this month. The automaker said it will employ 26 people in Ohio with the expansions and "add an initial $7 million in direct economic activity." “This is the same kind of bullying from the dealers we’ve faced in other states,†James Chen, Tesla’s vice president of regulatory affairs and associate general counsel, told the Dispatch. “The dealers, when they’re defeated in the court of public opinion, in the media and in the legislature, they then go to the courts.†Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20131219/RETAIL07/131219827/#ixzz2nxXOkX00
Wonder if they sell Tesla coils in the Tesla store? Tesla would be so proud..... If not, they might have troves of geeky science class kids showing up.... I always liked those things... Sooo sparkly....
Ohio Car Dealers launch new front in anti-Tesla battle Ohio auto dealers are renewing their bid to block Tesla Motors' factory store model. The Ohio Automobile Dealers Association is pushing legislation that it says will amend the state's dealer franchise law to more explicitly ban factory-owned stores. Association leaders contend that Ohio's existing law should have prevented Tesla from getting licenses for its stores in Cincinnati and Columbus. "The legislation reinforces what we've always believed the laws to be: that a manufacturer cannot hold a dealer's license to sell vehicles at retail," Sara Bruce, the association's vice president of legal affairs, said Wednesday. "If there was any misunderstanding of what the law is or what the definition of a new motor dealer is, this certainly does clarify it." Full Article - http://www.autonews.com/article/20140213/RETAIL07/140219925/ohio-dealers-launch-new-front-in-anti-tesla-battle
Just stopped by the store and had a nice chat with one of the sales guys. Quizzed him about its winter performance, and he said it seemed to be just fine - he'd only driven one this winter and hasn't yet driven it on normal roads. What really impressed me though was when he asked me what I drove, and I answered Mini. "Oh, so you're an enthusiast then?" The conversation instantly turned to weight distribution and nimbleness. Well played young salesman, well played....