Tesla Motors continues to fight for the ability to sell its electric cars directly to customers in Michigan, home of the rest of the U.S. auto industry. The Silicon Vallery automaker has been banned from doing so for about two years, thanks to subtle changes made to the state's franchise laws to prevent direct sales. Having failed to overturn the... Michigan says Tesla sales ban not unconstitutional, responding to lawsuit
Tesla Motors continues to fight for the ability to sell its electric cars directly to customers in Michigan, home of the rest of the U.S. auto industry. The Silicon Vallery automaker has been banned from doing so for about two years, thanks to subtle changes made to the state's franchise laws to prevent direct sales. Having failed to overturn the...
A major challenge for electric-car advocates is finding enthusiastic dealers who are willing to put in the effort to explain and promote them. Given the need to educate different staff on a new type of vehicle, explain the associated incentives, and respond to numerous customer questions, electric cars require dealers to invest more time than...
Tesla Motors is not legally allowed to sell its electric cars directly to customers in Michigan, thanks to subtle changes made two years ago to the state's franchise laws. But Tesla now has one store in the home state of the Detroit Three automakers. However, that location is only a "gallery" where consumers can look at cars, but can't buy. CHECK...
The Volkswagen diesel settlement for 2.0-liter TDI cars received final approval from a federal judge earlier this week. That means VW is now able to send out buyback offers to owners of the 475,000 affected vehicles. But some dealers aren't willing to wait to start enticing customers back into showrooms. DON'T MISS: Final VW diesel settlement...
Tesla Motors' direct-sales model for electric cars has rankled franchised auto dealers. Dealer associations have attempted to block Tesla direct sales in multiple states, and have undertaken public-relations campaigns extolling the virtues of the franchise model. One of the latest claims made by franchised dealers is that the traditional model...
As its new electric car gets closer to public sale, General Motors has apparently made its first allocations of 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVs to Chevy dealers. The news comes via a posting on the GM-Volt forum from a southern California dealership. Rick Alpern, the general manager of Keyes Chevrolet in Van Nuys, California, wrote that the dealer had...
Earlier this month, an application for a dealer license submitted by Tesla Motors was denied by the state of Michigan. It was the final decision in a process that kicked off in October 2014. That was when a last-minute wording change in state franchise law foreclosed the electric-car maker's ability to sell cars directly to buyers, its business...
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be on dealership floors within several weeks, cementing its position as the first affordable 200-mile electric car. It will beat planned 200-mile electric cars from BMW, Nissan, Tesla, Volkswagen, and other makers, and that's all to the good for plug-in car advocates. But the Bolt faces numerous hurdles to success...
Tesla Motors recently had another setback in its fight with Virginia's franchised car dealers over direct sales of its luxury electric cars. Over the past several months, Tesla has battled dealers and their lobbyists in the state over plans to open a second company-owned store. Now, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is recommending against...