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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:20 PM Feb 2014

Tesla Cars So Easy To Buy Online, Ohio Auto Dealers Want A Law To Shut Them Out

Auto dealers are pushing legislation that would keep Tesla Motors from selling cars in Ohio.

The American automaker sells its electric vehicles directly to customers, ensuring each buyer receives the same cost no matter where they buy their Tesla car.

“You can do everything on your computer — it’s so much easier,” Sunjay Kumar told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. “You really can’t negotiate anything, so it takes the headache out of that.”

That business model poses a direct threat to dealers who sell other vehicle brands.

They’re backing Senate Bill 260, sponsored by Sen. Tom Patton (R), which would explicitly prohibit the state from issuing dealer licenses to manufacturers – including Tesla.

MORE...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/11/tesla-cars-so-easy-to-buy-online-ohio-auto-dealers-want-a-law-to-shut-them-out/

8 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Tesla Cars So Easy To Buy Online, Ohio Auto Dealers Want A Law To Shut Them Out (Original Post) Purveyor Feb 2014 OP

OOh, karma... after dealerships in many states fought to prevent them from setting up hlthe2b Feb 2014 #1

The right wing "Free Market" mythology at work. Dawson Leery Feb 2014 #2

My exact thought Populist_Prole Feb 2014 #3

SADLY my donco Feb 2014 #4

They're so easy to buy online ... if you have $70,000 frazzled Feb 2014 #5

I think they're thinking of vehicles that are cheap and don't require dealerships…they're coming! dorkzilla Feb 2014 #7

Do we support jobs or not? lumberjack_jeff Feb 2014 #6

Remind me what the dealer does again? ksoze Feb 2014 #8

hlthe2b

(102,501 posts)

1. OOh, karma... after dealerships in many states fought to prevent them from setting up

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:24 PM

Feb 2014

their own dealerships...

Serves 'em right.

Dawson Leery

(19,348 posts)

2. The right wing "Free Market" mythology at work.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:27 PM

Feb 2014

Populist_Prole

(5,364 posts)

3. My exact thought

Reply to Dawson Leery (Reply #2)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:29 PM

Feb 2014

What a load of hypocrites!

donco

(1,548 posts)

4. SADLY my

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:33 PM

Feb 2014

paypal is tapped out or i would by one.

frazzled

(18,402 posts)

5. They're so easy to buy online ... if you have $70,000

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:43 PM

Feb 2014

What are they even talking about? Is this really a problem? Can we deal with some real issues?

dorkzilla

(5,141 posts)

7. I think they're thinking of vehicles that are cheap and don't require dealerships…they're coming!

Reply to frazzled (Reply #5)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 05:01 PM

Feb 2014

Take Elio Motors for example; you'll be able to go to a "retail center", design your own and they'll deliver your exact car to you without a dealership network. Price tag? Under $7,000. and it runs on gas and gets 85 mph.

http://www.eliomotors.com

There is a lot of buzz about this car and there are already 9000 cars pre-ordered.

Free market my ass.

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)

6. Do we support jobs or not?

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 04:57 PM

Feb 2014

Like it or not, retailing of cars generates many many local jobs.

... And I dispute the idea that an auto company can thrive long term without a dealer network.

ksoze

(2,068 posts)

8. Remind me what the dealer does again?

Reply to lumberjack_jeff (Reply #6)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 05:05 PM

Feb 2014

Tesla still has showrooms, but the buying is done on-line. Service is a non-issue, they come to you. The internet forever changed buying a car and dealers have become the low rung on the sales ladder in a model which the consumer knows more than the sales person.

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