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Comment by alrs | Hacker News Reader

Tesla isn't banned from selling cars in Michigan, they're not allowed to sell manufacturer-direct. No one in Michigan is allowed to sell manufacturer-direct.

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> Tesla isn't banned from selling cars in Michigan, they're not allowed to sell manufacturer-direct.

Which means they're banned from selling cars. They have to use intermediaries to sell cars for them.

> No one in Michigan is allowed to sell manufacturer-direct.

Imagine if the recording industry had successfully lobbied for laws that prevented anyone from selling music directly.

"IndieBandFoo isn't banned from selling music in the US, they're not allowed to sell artist-direct. No one in the US is allowed to sell artist-direct."

This restriction is no less ridiculous.

I don't support the law, but I take issue with journalists that allow Tesla to frame the debate as "barred" from selling cars. They could sell cars through franchised dealerships, and they choose not to.

Selling cars through a dealership is not Tesla selling cars it's the dealership selling cars, it's ridiculous that they cannot sell their own product to consumers without paying a middleman.

Tesla is barred from selling cars in Michigan. They are not barred from allowing someone else to sell their cars in Michigan.

That's what he's saying -- the article and comments here are being made in the thrust of "Teslas can't do their primary business in Michigan,".

That's not true.

It is true, as Tesla's primary business is selling their cars directly to consumers which Michigan has banned.

That's what he's saying -- the article and comments here are being made in the thrust of "Teslas can't do their primary business in Michigan,".

That's not true. A dealership in Michigan can "buy" Tesla cars, or whatever mechanism exists. "Tesla is refusing to do business in Michigan" would be a clearer way of putting it.

Tesla's primary business is selling the cars they build directly to consumers and Michigan has barred Tesla from doing that. To do business in Michigan would force Tesla to change their primary business model.

It's similar with beer (all alcohol?) in most states. They have to use a distributor and can't sell directly (except at the brewery). That why beer availability often follows state lines instead just distance.

Yeah, they are not explicitly saying "Tesla" in the law, but everyone understand it's anti-tesla bill. (Exactly like the anti-uber bills in some cities that are generic but target Uber.)

It's not a law targeting Tesla. The law predates Tesla.

They could easily add an exception for companies that don't distribute through dealership(which has happened in other states) but I doubt you'll see it any time soon.

The TechCrunch article mentions a recent law: "The state’s governor signed a law last October that banned the company from selling its vehicles directly to consumers."

My bad. I somehow read it as a case last year, not a new law.

In a lot of states (not sure about Michigan specifically), the law was "if you have any dealers in the state, you can't sell direct". The dealers are trying to change that to "you can't sell direct" to block Tesla.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/22/7038407/michigan-tesla-ba...

What do you mean by no one? Apple has shops in Michigan, no?

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