At its Milford service center today, Tesla Motors renewed its call for legislation that will allow the company to sell its cars directly to Connecticut consumers. The facility, which opened in 2013 and employs nearly 20, currently serves the more than 800 Tesla owners in the state.
The center is also slated for expansion of approximately 7,000 square feet later this year, in order to store more parts and service the growing number of Teslas in the state.
Tesla said it will push for legislation allowing it to open showrooms in different parts of the state. The company estimates that each showroom could create 12-25 jobs and contribute $8-10 million in direct economic impact, in addition to nearly $1.7 million in sales tax revenue.
During the 2015 legislative session, Tesla pushed for a bill that would have given the company the ability to sell directly to Connecticut consumers.
The final bill had the approval of the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association and passed the House with bipartisan support, but never came up for a vote in the Senate.
So Connecticut residents who want a Tesla must still order them online or travel to another state that allows direct sales, such as Massachusetts or New York.
Will Nicholas, Tesla’s government relations manager, said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon that he felt the rushed nature of the session may have doomed the bill. But he said Connecticut remains a “hot priority” and is hopeful about the company’s next attempt.
While a compromise on the bill would have seen three Tesla showrooms authorized in Connecticut, the company intends to push for something broader to start the 2016 session.
“I don’t think the conversation should be focused on what number makes sense,” Nicholas said. “We want an unfettered ability to open up stores. We will probably start there again.”
That may mean another fight with car dealerships, who have argued that allowing a manufacturer to sell cars outside of the franchise system would reduce consumer protections for recalls and repairs.
Tesla is in the midst of a voluntary recall of all 90,000 of its Model S sedans. The recall is related to a seat belt defect. No injuries have been associated with the problem.
Connecticut has sought to boost the numbers of electric vehicles on its roads using rebates. However, Teslas don’t qualify for state rebates, because those rebates are limited to vehicles with MSRPs of $60,000 or less, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
