Another bit of bad news for Tesla: Texas will not be allowing the auto manufacturer to sell direct to consumers after legislation failed to pass the state legislature despite support from both parties.
The deadline passed for the bill late last week, AutoBlog reports. It would have allowed Tesla stores in Texas to actually help customers get into an electric car. Currently, the law doesn’t allow pricing displays or test drives, a rule designed to protect franchise dealers. Unlike most car manufacturers, Tesla sells its cars directly to consumers rather than through dealerships.
Democratic state Rep. Senfronia Thompson criticized the company by saying that “it would have been wiser if Mr. Tesla had sat down with the car dealers first.” But there is no “Mr. Tesla” involved in the company, which is named after the late inventor Nikola Tesla and is founded and run by Elon Musk.