A New York Times article “Tesla Fights for a Place to Park” reports:
“Tesla Motors, the maker of high-end all-electric cars, has made no secret of its ambitions to transform the auto industry, through methods ranging from the radical design of its cars to its free network of charging stations to repairing its sedans remotely by computer. But now, Tesla’s lofty goals have run into a more ordinary roadblock: the ubiquitous local auto dealer…
“But most states have some limits on direct sales by auto manufacturers, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. These rules are generally meant to ensure competition, so that buyers can shop around for discounts from independent dealers, and to protect car dealers and franchises from being undercut by the automakers…
“The fight is not just about Tesla. Industry representatives do not want to open any door for manufacturers to get back into the business of direct sales, putting at risk the dealer’s profit margin, which is anywhere between 10 percent and 20 percent of the suggested retail price. In the past, a handful have tried and failed, including Ford, Daewoo and General Motors.”
Perhaps Tesla should be required to sell their cars through dealers with service facilities, an industry requirement.
But an even bigger question is the future of road building and maintenance as more vehicle are powered by electricity, an evolution which most would agree is desirable.
One of the advantages will be the ability to charge the batteries at home. For about $13,000, hotels and other businesses can acquire free standing charging devices that can power two vehicles at a time. The customer pays for the electricity the same as paying to put air in tires.
In Pennsylvania the sales tax is 40.7 cents per gallon of gas, which happens to be the highest in the nation.
Assuming 20,000 miles a year and twenty miles to the gallon, that comes to $407 per year.
From where is that road tax money to come as more efficient hybrids are introduced and total electric cars become common? Expect a bumpy road ahead…even moreso than today.
