SENATE BILL 3 — THE TESLA LOOPHOLE BILL — FROM A DEALER’S POINT OF VIEW

It is just plain appalling that yet again, the Car Dealer Association and my fellow dealers must fight to be able to keep our Franchise Law intact and protect the citizens of Connecticut. These laws have been in place for over 100 years. Please keep in mind that the New Vehicle Dealers bring in over $10 Billion in tax revenue to the State of CT and employ over 14,000 people in our state.

I am a locally owned dealer by comparison. We provide jobs to full time employees and part time employees.  My employees are also Tax payers in the State of Connecticut The Tesla Bill will undermine the current Franchise Laws that were made to protect consumers and ensure fair play between locally owned small businesses against the large Corporations. This Tesla Loop Hole Bill is just plain bad it will undermine my business and the jobs I provide. 

The bill came about from a legislator who wanted to buy a Tesla. The current market for the Expensive Tesla is very small. It is unbelievable this bill would even get this far in the CT House and Senate. I believe that common sense was certainly not part of the reason why it has advanced. It is time for it to end now.

Tesla was pushed back in Virginia where they ultimately agreed to the franchise system, and when push comes to shove, they will eventually realize that if they want to sell vehicles in Connecticut that they will need to abide by our laws. (They are in violation of the laws currently in Milford and South West CT and DMV has not enforced the current law to close them down).  They put a franchised dealer in Virginia because the State did the right thing and enforced their pro consumer franchise system. THIS MUST HAPPEN HERE! Tesla’s purpose is only self-serving and WILL NOT BENEFIT CONNECTICUT AND THE VERY, VERY FEW WHO COULD AFFORD TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS.

The other manufacturers in CT make AFFORDABLE ZERO Emission's Vehicles currently and in just last few months Connecticut dealers sold 500 affordable EV’s in Connecticut, that’s more than Tesla has sold and registered to Connecticut consumers in 8 years. If they agreed to franchise as all other auto makers do they would be welcomed and truly sell more vehicles under the franchises system.