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About 150 Cadillac dealers would rather leave the brand than sell EVs
About 150 Cadillac dealers would reportedly rather stop selling the brand entirely than upgrade to sell electric cars.
Volkswagen will only sell its ID electric cars online
A new agency model means no more hard sell from dealerships.
Harley-Davidson suspends LiveWire production over a charging glitch
Harley-Davidson has suspended the production and delivery of its LiveWire electric motorcycles. During final tests, the company discovered a problem related to the vehicle's charging equipment. The company told The Wall Street Journal that tests to pinpoint the issue are progressing well, but it did not say when production will resume.
Tesla may open 'Centers' to get around pro-dealership laws
Tesla may be planning an end-run around state laws that bar direct car sales and protect dealerships. Electrek sources claim the automaker is planning to open "Tesla Centers" in major urban areas that would theoretically avoid legal trouble by focusing on the sale of energy, not cars. These large outlets would offer sales, service and delivery seven days a week, even in states where "blue" laws prevent conventional car dealerships have to stay closed on Sundays. The strategy would take effect in the fourth quarter of this year.
Tesla can sell EVs in Missouri again after court win
Auto dealerships in Missouri really don't want Tesla on their turf, and last year got a judge to ban the automaker from getting a license in the state. However, the Missouri Court of Appeals has overturned that verdict, allowing Musk & Co to resume selling cars directly to consumers. "We have been serving customers in Missouri for almost five years and have contributed to the state economy and jobs for Missourians -- something that will now continue," Tesla said in a statement.
Thieves tell cops 'Mr. Tesla' said it was okay to swipe Teslas
Tesla's aren't easy to steal, but thieves in Utah allegedly made off with three $80,000 models by breaking into a dealership and stealing the fobs. After that, however, their master plan fell comically apart. "One guy claimed a family member had died and left them all this stuff, but two of them actually said (it was given to them) by (a man named) Tesla," South Salt Lake police detective Gary Keller told Fox 13.
BMW uses Google's augmented-reality tech to preview your i3
It's difficult to get a feel for what a personalized car will look like in real life. You can't get a realistic perspective by customizing a car on the web, but visiting the dealership frequently means having to guess what your color choices look like. BMW doesn't think you should have to choose. It's testing a BMW i Visualizer app that uses Google's depth-sensing Tango technology to help you preview your ultimate i3 or i8. If you visit dealerships in several countries (including the US and UK) during the weeks ahead, you'll get to configure and walk around a virtual car in augmented reality. You can't sit in it, unsurprisingly, but you can poke your head inside to see if the layout is as posh as you thought it would be.
GM: you won't buy self-driving cars at dealerships for a while
Do you dream of having a self-driving car in your driveway, ready to whisk you away at a moment's notice? You might have to keep dreaming for a while. GM president Dan Ammann tells Business Insider that he doesn't expect autonomous vehicles at dealerships until sometime "much farther in the future." You're more likely to see them used in ridesharing fleets at first, he says. GM clearly has a vested interest in that business between its partnership with Lyft and its own car-sharing efforts, but Ammann has some practical reasons for tamping down expectations.
Tesla dealerships aim to play Michigan at its own game
You can't buy a Tesla in Michigan because, like in many states, local laws prohibit manufacturers selling to their customers directly. To do so would cut out dealerships, which just happen to have bankrolled plenty of local politicians into protecting their interests. Tesla, however, isn't going to sulk off into the night, and has decided to play Michigan's vested interests at their own game by applying for a dealership license. According to the Wall Street Journal, the firm delivered the paperwork in November and is expecting to hear the decision by the start of March.
Michigan's new law 'clarifies' ban on Tesla's direct sales model
If you're hoping to find a Tesla Motors store in Motor City, you may be waiting a long, long time. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed House Bill 5606 into law, explicitly banning Tesla's direct sales model in the state. Snyder contends that the measure only "clarifies" existing legislation. It was already illegal to sell cars outside of franchised dealerships, he argues -- this new law just eliminates any room for confusion.
FTC: State bans on Tesla's direct sales model are hurting competition
Tesla has just gained a valuable ally in its battle to sell cars directly to customers: the Federal Trade Commission. The regulator now argues that state bans on direct sales are "protectionist," propping up the traditional dealership business model rather than protecting companies from unfair abuses by automakers. It's the "competitive process" that should decide which sales model is better, not the law. The FTC also doesn't buy the notion that Tesla's modest US sales (22,500 in 2013) are a threat to the wider industry (15 million). It believes that the only thing at risk is the old way of buying cars, which might not be necessary now that customers can skip the sales pitch and do most of their research online.
Tesla strikes deal to keep selling its electric cars in Ohio
Tesla has lately been losing its fight to keep selling cars directly to customers, but it just negotiated an important truce. The EV maker has reached a tentative deal with Ohio that lets it conduct direct sales in the state through a maximum of three stores. If passed into law, the agreement would also prohibit other car companies from trying the same strategy. The compromise doesn't completely satisfy a rapidly growing Tesla, but it gives both sides a chance to see how the middleman-free approach works without upsetting the status quo for franchise dealerships. It may also help achieve stalemates in New York and other states that are threatening to ban Tesla's business model outright. [Image credit: Michael Kappel, Flickr]
Nissan to install EV quick charge stations at more than 100 US dealerships
Like Tesla, Nissan knows that EV drivers want a safety net of charging stations; it's no fun to hunt for a power socket many miles from home. Accordingly, the automaker will soon deploy CHAdeMO-based quick chargers at more than 100 dealerships across 21 US markets. The rollout starts this summer and finishes by April 1st of next year. Combined with stations from a 24-dealer pilot, the expansion should give many urban Leaf drivers at least one reliable charging location -- and Nissan may get a few more sales in the bargain.
Coda sedan EV hits California dealerships, spreads semi-frugal greenness
Coda Automotive's EV sedan has been a long time coming -- but it's here in earnest now. After some initial deliveries two months earlier and the slight matter of parts arriving from China with minor damage, the California-assembled electric car should be in the fledgling automaker's Los Angeles dealership this week. Don't assume the sales rep will have the sedan in your preferred shade of periwinkle blue, however: although all four of Coda's dealerships in California will have samples for test drives, just ten units of the inaugural EV are on sale at the LA location. Should you happen to jump to the front of the small queue, expect to pay a relatively reasonable $39,900 before a tax credit for the regular sedan with a 150-mile range, or an ever-so slightly more economical $37,250 for the 125-mile edition.
Dealers holding MyFord Touch classes for confused car owners
To us, MyFord Touch is a great way to manage your auto: four-way controllers on the steering wheel for navigating through simple, color-coded menus; a central touch panel; even voice recognition so that you can live out those Michael Knight fantasies. However, some folks, folks who apparently didn't spend their childhoods mashing thumbs into D-pads, are finding it all a little confusing. Consumer Reports recently railed against the system and Ford is looking to make the transition from knobs to buttons a little easier. Many dealers now offering tutorial sessions that owners of Touch-equipped cars can attend, a 45 minute thrill ride that'll let you and your salesman get just that much closer. Because, really, after we finally finish haggling and sign the paperwork there's nothing we want to do more than spend another hour in the dealership.
Tesla goes Big Apple with Chelsea showroom
It's a time of dire news for auto manufacturers, with losses widening, dealerships closing, and whole brands disappearing. Not so for Tesla, which despite all that bickering up top has managed to scrounge together the funds to open up a shop in Chelsea in western Manhattan, a swanky area full of art galleries and the beret-clad people who frequent them. No surprise, then, that Tesla has outfitted the walls of this new dealership with large prints of its very own manufacturing process -- probably not earning it much cred in the 'hood. Annual operating cost is estimated to be a cool $1.5 million, pocket change by GM and Toyota standards, but surely a little more significant for a small company like this. Tesla used the space to show off the 2010 Roadster, which we still don't have full details on, but have heard features slightly improved circuitry, a locking glove box, and WiFi to enable remote, wireless diagnostics. Surely a Tesla-branded application store of some sort can't be far behind.
Los Angeles becomes home to Tesla Motors' first dealership
Nary two months after the Tesla Roadster finally hit production, the automaker's first dealership has swung its doors wide open. Not surprisingly, the establishment is planted in gridlock heaven, better known as Los Angeles, California. Even less shocking is the fact that it opened at one of the busiest intersections in the city -- near the practically useless (we kid... sort of) 405 freeway and the always-packed corner of Santa Monica and Sepulveda boulevards. Of course, the 10,000-square-foot dealership isn't exactly rolling cars off of the showroom floor just yet (something about a lingering transmission issue), but it's hoping the $2 million cost of construction more than pays itself off in a couple of years. And if you're hankering for a Tesla Motors store near you, you can look forward to others popping up in Menlo Park (CA), New York, Miami, Seattle and Chicago in the next year or so.
