Gov. Abbott speaks against Tesla direct sales

TexasEV · Jul 14, 2015

Interviewed on Bloomberg Radio today Gov. Abbott said “Texas has a very robust, very open, very effective automobile sector that seems like it’s working quite well the way that it is. If you’re going to have a breakdown in a car, you need to have a car dealership there to make sure that the vehicle is going to be taken care of. We haven’t seen that from Tesla.”

Texas Isnâ€™t Open for Teslaâ€™s Direct Auto Sales, Abbott Says - Bloomberg Business

WTF? Has anyone had a vehicle break down and Tesla didn't take care of it? Doesn't he know that Tesla has service centers in Texas, not just galleries? Or if it's the small number of locations he claims to be concerned about, that's a catch-22. Tesla offered to limit the number of its sales and service locations in the bill earlier this year as a concession to TADA, not that it did any good.

It appears he's another free market Republican who makes exceptions for markets controlled by his contributors.

ecarfan · Jul 14, 2015

TexasEV said:
Interviewed on Bloomberg Radio today Gov. Abbott said “Texas has a very robust, very open, very effective automobile sector that seems like it’s working quite well the way that it is. If you’re going to have a breakdown in a car, you need to have a car dealership there to make sure that the vehicle is going to be taken care of. We haven’t seen that from Tesla.”
Texas Isnâ€[emoji769]t Open for Teslaâ€[emoji769]s Direct Auto Sales, Abbott Says - Bloomberg Business

He is just an ignorant politician who says what his campaign contributors tell him to say.

Evbwcaer · Jul 14, 2015

There is also the detail that you don't need a car dealer for your car to be taken care of. There must be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of non-dealer car service/repair shops in the USA.

markb1 · Jul 14, 2015

Evbwcaer said:
There is also the detail that you don't need a car dealer for your car to be taken care of. There must be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of non-dealer car service/repair shops in the USA.

And none of those repair shops will service a Tesla, at least not for anything major. Tesla's hostility to third-party repairs undermines their stance on direct sales.

NOLA_Mike · Jul 14, 2015

markb1 said:
And none of those repair shops will service a Tesla, at least not for anything major. Tesla's hostility to third-party repairs undermines their stance on direct sales.

And I, for one, don't need some self serving politician to protect me from Tesla's "hostility". Open up the market and I'll decide with my dollars whether I want to buy from Tesla or from one of the dealers.

ggies07 · Jul 14, 2015

Yeah, he's protecting his own interests and getting dealership and service center terms mixed up. First, EVs have less maintenance, we all know this, and second, if it does need attention, a small service area will suffice.

I can't stand this state's politicians and can't wait for the consumers to make them look like idiots with the Model 3.

linkster · Jul 14, 2015

I see Perry has performed a masterful job of handing off the hypocrisy baton to his predecessor. Welp.......no Tesla truck factory for The Lonestar State.

ggies07 · Jul 14, 2015

linkster said:
I see Perry has performed a masterful job of handing off the hypocrisy baton to his predecessor. Welp.......no Tesla truck factory for The Lonestar State.

Actually, that crazy ass man has been on tv saying times are changing and thinks Texas needs to look into updating its car buying laws.

Found the video:

purplewalt · Jul 14, 2015

TexasEV said:
It appears he's another free market Republican who makes exceptions for markets controlled by his contributors.

It only is his first year in Office (as Governor), and he will be in office three and a half more years (4 year term).
Plenty of time for him to share more of his worldly and insightful facts, glad-hand a few of his deep dozen pocket contributors so that he can retain his crystal clear vision how well Tesla maintains their customer's vehicles.
And sure enough, because Gov. Abbott says it, it must be the truth.
Or at least his version of it.
Plenty more time for him to clarify his remarks.

His statement "...We haven't seen that from Tesla," is plainly false.

Tell you what Gov. Abbott, either provide certified data to verify and confirm what you have said or Shut Up.
And keep your biased opinions to yourself.
Good Ole Boys tell some whomping lies.

Another Embarrassment to Texas, and there have been some real whoopers.

smh...

TexasEV · Jul 14, 2015

markb1 said:
And none of those repair shops will service a Tesla, at least not for anything major. Tesla's hostility to third-party repairs undermines their stance on direct sales.

Not that it's relevant at all to direct sales, but the Texas franchise laws prohibit independent repair shops from doing warranty work. That has to be contracted to the franchised dealers. It's one of the main reasons why TADA is so proud of its "bulletproof" franchise law, restricting competition in service not just sales.

Anyway I wouldn't want any third party repairs of a Tesla yet. Something goes wrong, and its "Tesla" in the scare headline not the independent repair shop.

linkster · Jul 14, 2015

ggies07 said:
Actually, that crazy ass man has been on tv saying times are changing and thinks Texas needs to look into updating its car buying laws.

I love how "that crazy ass man" :biggrin:conveniently talked this B.S. as he was heading out the door....

markb1 · Jul 14, 2015

NOLA_Mike said:
And I, for one, don't need some self serving politician to protect me from Tesla's "hostility". Open up the market and I'll decide with my dollars whether I want to buy from Tesla or from one of the dealers.

I agree with you. I brought it up because I want Tesla to get their act together, so they can be in a better position to fight for direct sales.

stephenpace · Jul 15, 2015

Feel free to comment on his "Governor Abbott Lures Businesses To Texas" video he just posted on YouTube:

Governor Abbott Lures Businesses To Texas - YouTube

redi · Jul 15, 2015

The 7/15 NPR show Texas Standard (texasstandard.org) did a little trailer on this beginning about 47:50 asking for comment on the amusing disconnect about Gov. Abbott supposed pro-business while blocking Tesla.

Might be a good opportunity to sound off on "the Texas Tesla treatment" example of pro-busines.

Bonlaw · Jul 15, 2015

Do you think he is really pro-oil and therefore needs to be anti-EV?

TexasEV · Jul 15, 2015

Bonlaw said:
Do you think he is really pro-oil and therefore needs to be anti-EV?

No, oil has nothing to do with it. He's pro-campaign contributors, which include large contributions from auto dealers individually and TADA. The same crew that killed the Tesla bill this year.

dsm363 · Jul 15, 2015

We need someone rich to fund an opposition candidate during the next primary.

RDoc · Jul 16, 2015

Isn't he the same one who thinks the US Army is going to take over Texas and impose marshal law? IIRC he's got the Texas National Guard watching the US Army exercises just in case.

tomas · Jul 16, 2015

dsm363 said:
We need someone rich to fund an opposition candidate during the next primary.

Watch out, you may get what you as for, like maybe a wealthy real estate developer. Oh, you mean Texas... well most likely an opposition candidate would go further right in Texas!

GoBlue88 · Jul 16, 2015

Good comment shown on Teslarati: Texas Governor Snubs Tesla .... Again - TESLARATI.com

If the Tea Party movement has a spiritual home anywhere, it is in Texas, where local politicians from the governor on down extol the virtues of free enterprise unfettered by the heavy hand of government. But the shabby treatment accorded to Tesla gives the lie to those vaunted core principals. Clearly, many of those alleged Tea Party adherents are for sale to the highest bidder, despite their protestations of ideological purity.One Texas resident put the spotlight directly on this pattern of hypocrisy in a comment online:

Texans like me have to buy their Tesla elsewhere – kind of like the colonists did with tea. Tea Partiers have the revolt backwards. Today, Tesla is playing the part of the Americans. Franchise dealers are the Tories. Americans will eventually win. I’d like to throw the franchise dealers and their paid lobbyists into a big pot of hot tea. A government telling me I can’t buy a car directly from a company just because that company will not adhere to an archaic franchise dealer system is tyranny.

Gov. Abbott speaks against Tesla direct sales

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