After reading “To the People of New Jersey,” I think it’s fair to say that Elon Musk deserves to win a prize for best blog post – not to mention best one liner! – of the week. Check it out.
On Tuesday, under pressure from the New Jersey auto dealer lobby to protect its monopoly, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, composed of political appointees of the Governor, ended your right to purchase vehicles at a manufacturer store within the state. Governor Christie had promised that this would be put to a vote of the elected state legislature, which is the appropriate way to change the law. When it became apparent to the auto dealer lobby that this approach would not succeed, they cut a backroom deal with the Governor to circumvent the legislative process and pass a regulation that is fundamentally contrary to the intent of the law.
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The rationale given for the regulation change that requires auto companies to sell through dealers is that it ensures “consumer protection”. If you believe this, Gov. Christie has a bridge closure he wants to sell you! Unless they are referring to the mafia version of “protection”, this is obviously untrue. As anyone who has been through the conventional auto dealer purchase process knows, consumer protection is pretty much the furthest thing from the typical car dealer’s mind.
Musk adds that Tesla is “evaluating judicial remedies to correct the situation,” and urges everyone in New Jersey to contact their state senator & assembly “if you believe that your right to buy direct at a Tesla store should be restored.” Sounds like a smart idea to us.