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How Car Dealership Lobbyists Successfully Banned Tesla Motors From Texas
Funksaw writes "In a political op-ed on his blog, long time Slashdot reader and contributor Brian Boyko (the guy who did that animated Windows 8 video) — now a candidate for state representative — explains how lobbyists from car dealerships successfully banned Tesla Motors from selling cars in Texas. From the article: 'Tesla Motors doesn't just present a case study of why a lack of campaign finance reform blocks meaningful reform on the issues that Democrats care about, like climate change and health care. A lack of campaign finance reform blocks reforms on both the Left and the Right. Here's the big elephant in the room I'd like to point out to all the "elephants" in the room: With a Republican-controlled legislature, a Republican executive, and many conservatives in our judiciary, why the hell don't we have free markets in Texas? Isn't it the very core of economic-conservative theory that the invisible hand of the free market determines who gets what resources? Doesn't the free market have the ability to direct resources to where they can most efficiently be used? I'm not saying the conservatives are right in these assumptions; but I am saying that our broken campaign finance system makes a mockery of them.'"
Tesla is not banned from Texas, they are banned from having dealerships. I just test drove (and will probably buy) the Tesla sedan last Friday here through the Tesla showroom at the Domain in Austin. I now have to simply go online and order one, and it will be delivered right here to Austin, Texas. In addition Tesla has an agreement with a local repair shop for any servicing, and they are building a charging infrastructure here in the state. So you can't say they've been banned, only that they have been prevented from having a tradition all in one place solution.
And I find it so amazingly ironic that all of the Republicans in this state who pontificate about the free market and demonize regulation would fight to keep the dealership system. It is exactly the kind of regulation they usually abhor, and prevents the capitalist system from working. The hypocrisy is unfortunately sadly predictable for those on the right in Texas. This is the same group that has passed a voter ID law to suppress the voting rights of the disadvantaged, even though in the last ten years there have only been 4 cases of voting fraud that could have been stopped with the ID law.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a difficult battle. - Plato
In Tesla's defense, would you willingly let your wares be sold by dealerships that are out to make the most money possible from the customers often with dishonest tactics? Car sales people are among the most despised, least trusted people on the planet. I don't think there are any auto manufacturers that wouldn't kick independent dealerships to the curb if they could.
Correct! Tesla cars are not banned in Texas. There is one driving around my neighborhood. Yes, I live in Texas.
That said, this is par for Texas politics. I, along with most people I know here, see Tesla and their need for direct sales as a legitimate argument. EV's are not widely available like regular vehicles are, so we need to have a test bed to see how introduction that into the marketplace works. Tesla is that test bed.
Really, this is about stagnant Republican cronyism that keeps Texas from progressing in areas of economic opportunity. There is a LOAD of oil money flowing in Texas right now, and Texas politicians, apparently here anyways, seem to hate upcoming markets. Ironically, that same oil money elected thes idiots blocking this.
I'll take a guess and say the right people were not influenced enough for this to pass. In short, they didn't pay enough, or the right people to get this changed.
As the owner of a Model S I looked in to the battery longevity. The battery pack should be good for a minimum of 8 years and likely considerably longer. From what information I have been able to gather, the cells are good for 3000 full charge/discharge cycles. Being very conservative and giving 200 miles of range per full charge (which is usually a fair amount more) that works out to 600,000 miles.
Plus it has been shown that replacing a battery pack is trivial with an automated system that can replace a battery in about 90 seconds.
The maintenance should be considerably less. The motor won't need an "oil change" for 12 years according to a tech I spoke with at the factory. Tesla has also stated that their goal is to not make a profit on service and maintenance, which is a far cry from the dealerships.
Right now the only way to buy a Tesla is online through their web site. It was a far more pleasant experience than dealing with dealerships trying to get a car in the color with the options I wanted then having to haggle over the price.
The maintenance schedule suggests taking the car in once a year for service. The warranty covers everything, including wiper blades and brake pads. Brakes shouldn't need service since they're hardly used. About the only thing they have to do other than inspections are to rotate the tires, change the cabin air filter and the wiper blades. The only other part that might need servicing periodically is the lead-acid 12v battery.
There are far fewer things to go wrong mechanically with the car considering that there's no transmission (just two gears with a 9.71:1 gear reduction) and an induction motor. As it is, the entire drive assembly can be easily removed and replaced (it takes them under 5 minutes to bolt the whole assembly in place at the factory). There's coolant, but it probably needs changing far less frequently. The AC should be a lot less prone to leaking since there's no engine mounted compressor with flexible hoses. There's no spark plugs, oil pumps, fuel pumps, fuel filters, air filters (other than cabin), EGR valves, oxygen sensors, catalytic converters, etc to wear out. Similarly, there's no oil changes, problems with warped heads, valves, camshafts, piston rings or all the other parts that wear. The only thing that can basically wear is the differential and bearings and the standard suspension stuff.
Dealerships are just a way to insert middlemen where they're not needed, and they're a monopoly by design. Usually you can't put in a competing dealership within a certain distance of an existing dealership unless they sell a different brand of car. That gives dealerships a local monopoly.
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Your not talking about Libertarians, you are talking about the hypocritical ultra-conservatives that call themselves the Libertarian Party of America. They have nothing to do Classical Libertarianism.
Civilizations are measured by how they treat their weakest citizens..
Over here in communist Australia my government health care levy covers myself and about 6 other people for less money than I could insure a family of four in the US. UHC has received bipartisan support in Oz since the right wingers gave up the fight to get rid of it in the late 80's (after it had been running for over a decade), according to numerous polls 80% of voters would now vote against a candidate who tried to fuck with it. Recently a similar scheme for the disabled was instituted with bipartisan support and strong voter approval. Personally I am proud to be part of those schemes in communist Australia.
Seriously, writing "communism" to describe the above state of affairs felt wrong even though I was aiming for sarcasm. Americans already pay about the same per-capita tax on health as Aussies do and have much better economies of scale, but then they have to go out and buy health insurance, wtf? We have statistically superior health outcomes to boot, so someone in the US must be making huge profits from other people's misery, I wonder who?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.