Sen. Duff renews push to let Tesla sell cars directly to Connecticut consumers

Sen. Bob Duff with Rep. Antonio Guerrera, left, and Jim Chen of Tesla Motors, right. Sen. Bob Duff with Rep. Antonio Guerrera, left, and Jim Chen of Tesla Motors, right. Photo: CHRISTINE STUART/CT NEWS JUNKIE Photo: CHRISTINE STUART/CT NEWS JUNKIE Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Sen. Duff renews push to let Tesla sell cars directly to Connecticut consumers 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

HARTFORD >> With Tesla Motors in mind, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff renewed a push for legislation that would allow electric vehicle makers open up to three retail locations in Connecticut.

Currently, Connecticut law requires that any new vehicle be sold to a consumer by a dealer franchise that is not owned by the manufacturer. Each dealer location must be at least 14 miles away from another dealership selling the same brand.

“The world is changing and Connecticut needs to change with it as well,” Duff said Tuesday at a press conference in his office.

The bill Duff introduced Tuesday is the exact same bill as last year. That bill passed the House 116-32, but failed to get called for a vote in the Senate before the General Assembly adjourned.

Last year, the bill was the subject of vocal opposition from car dealers who said Tesla should be held to the same standards as the rest of the car manufacturers. They believe the franchise system contributes significantly to the local economy and protects consumers.

Elon Musk, CEO and founder of Tesla, wrote in a blog post in 2012 that the reason they did not seek to sell their cars through dealerships was because dealers “have a fundamental conflict of interest between promoting gasoline cars, which constitute virtually all of their revenue, and electric cars, which constitute virtually none.”

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