A law allowing Tesla Motors to sell their electric car line to the public is expected to be passed into by Pennsylvania's governor after approval in both parts of the legislature in that state.
Tesla appears to be making some inroads into their business model of selling vehicles directly to the public. Critics and public relations firms that represent the traditional auto industry are either opposed to the idea or don't believe it will work (or say they don't believe it). But Tesla has never been a company to do things the traditional way.
Just months ago, Tesla drove their vehicles in a test run using only their supercharger stations from coast to coast in the United States and they made it, accomplishing a milestone for electric cars.
According to reports, the electric car company was approved for building five locations to sell their vehicles in the state of Pennsylvania last week in the Senate and was just passed in the House of Representatives. Republican Governor Tom Corbett is expected to sign the bill into law.
The bill essentially caps the amount of locations Tesla can have, at five. New Jersey, New York and other states are already looking at similar scenarios with direct sales for the electric cars as reports noted.
Tesla Motors wanted to avoid battling other dealer groups and this legislation will help them to do just that. The dealer model has been held in place by both the traditional automobile industry and government regulators. The Tesla situation is new and different and it doesn't sit well with an industry that doesn't want non-traditional competition. Even talks with Google to build self-driving cars have not gone well.
Other reports indicate that the company will also be able to add more service centers in the state. The issue is bigger than just electric cars. It was also reported that the dealers fear other manufacturers may make similar independent moves to distribute their automobiles. But this time Tesla had support. That support came from a dealer group, the Pennsylvania Automotive Association.
"We hope the process in Pennsylvania serves as an example for how productive cooperation can lead to a win for all parties involved, dealers and legislators included," Tesla's vice president for business development, Diarmuid O'Connell said.
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, has fought aggressively to keep his Tesla S, a $71,000 vehicle not typically in the middle class income bracket's price range, out of dealerships. In New Jersey, a bill was brought forth that included a loophole for zero-emissions vehicles.
The electric car manufacturer, Tesla, is based in California.
