Elon Musk has written a letter to Connecticut residents urging them to support a bill that would allow Tesla to sell directly to customers in Connecticut.
The letter, originally published in the Hartford Courant, encourages residents to support HB 7097, a proposed bill that would authorize the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to issue a dealer’s license to electric vehicle manufacturers. Tesla operates non-franchised dealerships to make direct sales to customers.
Previous bills that would allow for Tesla to sell in this manner have failed in part due to opposition from traditional car dealers. Connecticut has nearly 300 auto dealers that employ about 14,000 people, according to the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association, the group staunchly opposed to allowing Tesla's direct sales.
Tesla Motors manufactures electric cars that don’t require the same maintenance as traditional automobiles with internal combustion engines. They also use a different business model than other auto companies. The company operates in more than 20 states and owns each of the stores where it sells cars directly to consumers.
Musk argued in his letter than consumer should have the right to purchase a gasoline-powered vehicle or an electric vehicle directly from dealerships, and claimed that Connecticut was losing business to New York and Massachusetts by failing to allow Tesla sales.
“Your elected officials have a choice,” Musk wrote. “They can vote to cede jobs to surrounding states, or choose a path that helps the state close its budget gap and build upon its history as a place for innovation and business growth.”
