Forum: The losing race against Tesla

Nationwide protests have erupted over the way in which corporate money, revolving-door lobbyists, and fake news are undermining our democracy in Washington. But Connecticut residents need not look beyond our state capital to see how damaging these forces can be.

No lobbyist would be taken seriously trying to ban cell phones to protect landline companies, eliminate Apple Stores to help Radio Shack franchises, or outlaw recycling to protect landfill profits. Yet for the past two years James Fleming, lobbyist for the Connecticut Automobile Retailers Association, has succeeded in banning direct sales of Tesla, the most popular and eco-friendly brand of electric car, in order to protect car dealership profits.

After an impressive career as Senate Majority Leader and Commissioner of three State agencies — Consumer Protection, Public Works & Public Utility Control — Mr. Fleming launched his notorious “teslacrash.com” website, an endeavor so steeped in misinformation that he eventually removed the page from the internet. The site consisted of links to random Tesla accidents and op-eds written by Fleming himself, both part of a smear campaign aimed at preventing Tesla from selling directly to customers in Connecticut. If the website’s lazy bias was not immediately clear, small print at the bottom reminded the reader it was “paid for by the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association” — just like Fleming himself.

The case for electric vehicles is solid on several important fronts. The American Lung Association has found that passenger-vehicle emissions generated by the average tankful of gasoline cost the public $17 in health costs, impacting the health of low-income people most. And an MIT research project shows that EVs are about 20 percent less expensive to own and operate than gasoline-powered cars in the same class. Making EVs easier to purchase, in other words, will make Connecticut residents both healthier and wealthier, giving us more money to spend elsewhere in the local economy — a stimulus our state desperately needs.

In order to meet s Connecticut’s multistate zero-emission vehicle commitment, the state needs to double the number of EVs on the road each year until 2025. Environmentalists agree we will never accomplish this if Mr. Fleming persists in blocking direct sales of Tesla. Later this year, Tesla will introduce its more affordable Model 3, which can accelerate EV adoption in Connecticut if the legislature does its part to lift the direct sales ban.

A Sierra Club study found that despite having great EV models available, such as the VW eGolf, Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus EV and others, car dealerships have little motivation to sell them, since their profits come from costly engine servicing — something that EV’s don’t require. The fact that Teslas account for 64 percent of the 1,381 EVs registered in Connecticut — even though owners have been forced to buy them out of state — highlights just how little interest franchised dealers have in selling EVs.

Mr. Fleming’s claim that Tesla sales would have “no economic commitment locally” also rings false. Tesla now has brick-and-mortar locations in Milford and Greenwich, employing dozens of employees. Each store creates up to 25 jobs and injects $4-$5 million into the local economy. And sales from each store will create $1.5 million in annual state tax revenue. The company has also built five Supercharger stations and installed dozens of destination chargers, improving the EV ecosystem for Connecticut drivers. Tesla’s SolarCity subsidiary just built the largest renewable solar energy and storage system in Connecticut.

We should commend — not outlaw — Tesla’s leadership in navigating Connecticut’s sustainable future. Moreover, we should respond to the clear preference of car buyers clamoring for direct sales. A Federal Trade Commission study reveals that direct sales save consumers $2,400 on each purchase, and surveys have repeatedly shown that when asked whether they want the option to purchase directly from a manufacturer, Americans overwhelmingly answer yes.

Yet Connecticut remains one of only four states to deprive consumers of the right to buy a car directly from manufacturers. That puts us in the company of Texas and Michigan, states with obvious vested interests in maintaining the automotive status quo. What’s our excuse? Legislators are being lobbied to restrict direct sales against the clear will — and thwarting the clear benefit — of the citizens of our state. That’s not only misguided, it’s just plain wrong.

Our elected representatives need to see through the smoke Mr. Fleming has generated, and pass a bill that allows Connecticut’s new green economy to blossom. In the long run, car dealers will better serve their communities and themselves by not hiding EVs at the back of the lot. Instead of paying Mr. Fleming to block progress, they should send him to Detroit to lobby carmakers to make EV models that can compete with Tesla. As the VW emissions cheating scandal demonstrates, when the auto industry puts its profits ahead of the public interest, it’s a losing strategy for both.

Bruce Redman Becker is an architect and developer of green buildings and member of the Westport Electric Car Club. Jules Benton Becker is a freshman at Brown University.