Tesla will be allowed to directly sell its cars in Texas, thanks to new bill introduced in Texas House. Some people say Musk finally took down the dealership Mafia, this made my day.
Maria Merano reports at Teslarati that Texas House Bill 4379, authored by state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, proposes that automakers manufacturing cars powered by electricity or batteries should be allowed to act as dealers under TX state regulations. The bill would enable all-electric car manufacturers like Tesla to sell their vehicles directly to consumers.
Texas House Bill 4379 could change the landscape for Tesla in Texas. The bill proposes adding a subsection to Section 2301.476 of the Texas Occupation Code. The amendment, labeled Subsection i-1, would read:
“(i-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a manufacturer or distributor may own or operate a dealership, may own, operate, or otherwise act in the capacity of a dealer…”
Merano in Teslarati says the amendment also states that automakers will be able to obtain a “dealer general distinguishing number.” To get a dealer distinguishing number, carmakers must solely distribute vehicles powered by electricity or batteries and the manufacturer’s “line-make” must have never been sold in the state through an independent franchised dealership.
If this bill passes, it's good for Tesla and Texas. It's just a wise thing to do. Tesla can sell vehicle just fine with the sales ban. They just register it in another state and the one who missing out on sale tax is Texas.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.