By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Capitol Times

Multiple attempts in the Legislature to amend state law so Tesla Motors could sell its electric cars directly to Arizona consumers were unsuccessful, but it turns it that they weren’t necessary in the first place.

Thanks to a dealer license granted last year by the Arizona Department of Transportation, Tesla is now availing itself of opportunities that had long been denied it. ADOT granted the license Tesla sought after an administrative law judge determined that a law that was widely believed to prohibit it from selling directly to customers didn’t apply to the company.

Because of the perceived restriction and its lack of a dealer license, Tesla wasn’t allowed to let potential customers take test drives, and couldn’t even tell people how much its electric cars cost. Prospective customers had to get pricing information online and had to buy their cars without ever getting a chance to get behind the wheel. Now, anyone can drop in, talk prices and take a Model S for a spin.

Subscription required – Continued: