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West Virginia auto dealers now trying to ban Tesla?

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Here is more about WV Lt. governor and president of its senate, Bill Cole:

Owns Nissan and Honda dealerships in Bluefield, W.Va., and also Subaru, Kia and Hyundai stores, plus another set of Nissan and Honda stores in Ashland, Ky.

An article/interview here: A voice for dealers, business in West Virginia Senate


His parting comment about a Tesla owner consistently plugging into the Nissan charger is, if true, a potential problem.
 
It's done:
"The WV Senate on March 4 unanimously voted in favor of a bill that relates to motor vehicle dealers, distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers.

The measure passed the Senate 32-0-1, with one Senator absent and Senate President Bill Cole, R-Mercer, excused from voting.
Cole, an automobile dealership owner, had to step down as his business would have been directly impacted by the legislation. Sen. Donna Boley, R-Pleasants, briefly took over as Senate President to conduct the vote on the bill."

A bill that relates to motor vehicle dealers? The reporter doesn't even get the significance of this.
 
Here is more about WV Lt. governor and president of its senate, Bill Cole:

Owns Nissan and Honda dealerships in Bluefield, W.Va., and also Subaru, Kia and Hyundai stores, plus another set of Nissan and Honda stores in Ashland, Ky.

An article/interview here: A voice for dealers, business in West Virginia Senate


His parting comment about a Tesla owner consistently plugging into the Nissan charger is, if true, a potential problem.

Given that Cole is both a car dealer and a state senator, I suspect the operative phrase is "if true". Unlikely in my opinion but then again I am rather cynical. If a Tesla owner plugged in consistently like that I am sure the dealership would simply ICE their charger with one of their vehicles.

The article does expose the typical Nissan dealership bias against the Leaf.

"Electric cars are challenged in a place like West Virginia because we have hills everywhere, and we also have cold weather. Those are the two things toughest on a battery. From my Nissan brand, we have a Leaf, but we don't sell too many around here. ... Nissan makes us put public charging stations outside our dealerships. So I've sold a couple of Leafs, and nobody uses them."

I haven't personally driven a Leaf, but I am sure it handles climbing hills better than a Versa or most of the other ICE cars in its class. Plus it gets regen on the downslope. True cold will reduce range somewhat, but for most commutes, the Leaf is fine even in colder weather than they have in West Virginia. I have seen many Leafs in Michigan in the winter. I believe West Virginia used to have a generous state EV tax credit. I am sure Cole could have sold more than a couple of Leafs if he had wanted to.
 
My reading of the bill is that there is no meaningful change as to Tesla. I can't make heads or tails of the statute numbering, but on page 34 of the bill text, car manufacturers are already prohibited from acting "in the capacity of a new car dealer." There was language struck up on page 33 regarding opening a manufacturer's dealership too close to a franchised dealership, but given the blanket prohibition on manufacturer direct sales that's in the language on page 34, I don't see there being an operational effect from this change.
 
* Robert: I'm not going to go through the eye-glazing task of re-reading that document, but I do recall a number of points on p. 21 that struck me as being relevant specifically to Tesla.

* It seems to me that someone clever could have fun with tying together the single most important factor in WVa's economy - coal - and its use - fueling power plants, and the relevant importance thereof to Teslas versus ICE vehicles.

* The Utah discussion site has created a Wall of Shame, naming solons who voted against direct auto sales and putting together a half-hearted attempt to compare the situation there with, for example "Communist China". A sharper contrast could be made; regardless, the WVirginians may consider copying the Utahns, as in : If you live in Utah, post this list to facebook!
 
Banned!

Tesla sales banned by West Virginia, whose Senate president is also an auto dealer | The Verge

I think Bill Cole's story about the Tesla owner using his charging station is very strange. I know Nissan dealers around here that require permission. It's usually a dealer by dealer issue. If they let him park there all day then it's on them. :eek:

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Tesla sales banned by West Virginia, whose Senate president is also an auto dealer

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is all about disruption. That means electric cars instead of the more common gas guzzlers and direct sales in place of dealerships. Unfortunately for Musk, auto dealers are often a powerful political constituency, and have managed to get legislation passed in numerous states banning direct sales. Today, West Virginia joined that group, when Governor Ray Tomblin signed into law a bill that prevents manufacturers from operating their own dealerships.

Similar laws have passed recently in New Jersey and Michigan. The ban in New Jersey was subsequently overturned. That was a big deal for Tesla, as the Garden State is one of the largest markets for the expensive cars it sells. West Virginia is a much smaller market, but it would have given Tesla access to customers in surrounding areas like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Washington D.C.

"I'M SORRY — MY ELECTRICITY ISN'T FREE."

Tesla's direct sales are currently banned in five states and under attack in court in another six. May other states are rolling out proposed bills. It's worth pointing out that West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole is apparently a long time auto dealer. He abstained from voting on this measure. Cole owns a Nissan dealership, and has some experience with Tesla customers.

"Nissan makes us put public charging stations outside our dealerships. So I've sold a couple of Leafs, and nobody uses them," Cole told Auto News. "But I have a guy who bought a Tesla that pulls up to my dealership every day and plugs right in because his office is close. I'm sorry — my electricity isn't free. But he doesn't have any problem pulling his Tesla into my Nissan store and laughing and leaving it on charge."

Gov. Tomblin had initially resisted the bill. ""One of my goals is to attract businesses or bring jobs into the state," he told the Washington Times. "I have a lot of friends who are car dealers, and maybe they would like to protect their turf, but at the same time, it’s just another business."
 
Tesla sales banned by West Virginia, whose Senate president is also an auto dealer | The Verge

I think Bill Cole's story about the Tesla owner using his charging station is very strange. I know Nissan dealers around here that require permission. It's usually a dealer by dealer issue. If they let him park there all day then it's on them. :eek:

----------

Tesla sales banned by West Virginia, whose Senate president is also an auto dealer

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is all about disruption. That means electric cars instead of the more common gas guzzlers and direct sales in place of dealerships. Unfortunately for Musk, auto dealers are often a powerful political constituency, and have managed to get legislation passed in numerous states banning direct sales. Today, West Virginia joined that group, when Governor Ray Tomblin signed into law a bill that prevents manufacturers from operating their own dealerships.

Similar laws have passed recently in New Jersey and Michigan. The ban in New Jersey was subsequently overturned. That was a big deal for Tesla, as the Garden State is one of the largest markets for the expensive cars it sells. West Virginia is a much smaller market, but it would have given Tesla access to customers in surrounding areas like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Washington D.C.

"I'M SORRY — MY ELECTRICITY ISN'T FREE."

Tesla's direct sales are currently banned in five states and under attack in court in another six. May other states are rolling out proposed bills. It's worth pointing out that West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole is apparently a long time auto dealer. He abstained from voting on this measure. Cole owns a Nissan dealership, and has some experience with Tesla customers.

"Nissan makes us put public charging stations outside our dealerships. So I've sold a couple of Leafs, and nobody uses them," Cole told Auto News. "But I have a guy who bought a Tesla that pulls up to my dealership every day and plugs right in because his office is close. I'm sorry — my electricity isn't free. But he doesn't have any problem pulling his Tesla into my Nissan store and laughing and leaving it on charge."

Gov. Tomblin had initially resisted the bill. ""One of my goals is to attract businesses or bring jobs into the state," he told the Washington Times. "I have a lot of friends who are car dealers, and maybe they would like to protect their turf, but at the same time, it’s just another business."
Here's hoping we get more New Jerseys than we do West Virginias.
 
Gov. Tomblin had initially resisted the bill. ""One of my goals is to attract businesses or bring jobs into the state," he told the Washington Times. "I have a lot of friends who are car dealers, and maybe they would like to protect their turf, but at the same time, it’s just another business."
:rolleyes: Then why did he sign it?