The government of North Carolina has continued its recent line of seemingly inexplicable decisions, with its choice to now deny Tesla a dealership license for Charlotte despite earlier hints that it would approve.
If approved, the location outside of Charlotte, in the suburb of Matthews, would have been the company’s second in the state. Tesla currently operates a service center and gallery at the location. The company’s only dealership is located in Raleigh.
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles apparently ruled that Tesla must go through a third-party dealership group — in other words, the company would have to sell to local groups, which would very likely have no real incentive to sell the vehicles to begin with, let alone to follow or support the company’s long-term development plans and goals.
And I have to wonder anyways, how much would a dealership-sold Tesla Model S (with the dealership taking their cut as well) even cost?
Automotive News provides more:
The electric automaker argued this month that the Matthews location should be exempt from the state’s ban on manufacturer-owned dealerships, according to a DMV order. The state instead sided with four dealership groups in opposing issuing the license. Hendrick Automotive Group and Sonic Automotive Inc were two of the opponents.
The North Carolina DMV, in an order signed by Administrative Hearing Officer Larry Greene, said there are “at least three independent dealers” in the market that would be able to own and operate a Tesla dealership “in a manner consistent with the public interest,” meaning the exemption would not apply. Requests for comment from Tesla spokeswoman Khobi Brooklyn and Shawn Mercer, the attorney who represented the dealership groups, were not immediately returned.
The stink of this….
Thanks to “McHoffa” on the Tesla Motors Club forum for this update.
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