Dealership
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Connecticut may change dealer-franchise laws to allow Tesla direct sales.
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Car Dealers: Innocent, Delicate, Fragile Blossoms, Apparently
"We're not gonna take it any more!" If you're of a certain age, that line likely brings back memories of a 30-year-old Twisted Sister song. You might be less likely to think of it as the headline of an article about the hurt feelings of car dealers. DON'T MISS: The Videos Car Dealers Hate: Is It...
John Voelcker -
Four Ford Dealers To Test Solar & Wind Clean-Energy Systems
Ford will install Windy System wind-and-solar energy systems at four of its dealerships.
Stephen Edelstein -
A Third Of This Dealer's Sales Are Chevy Volt Electric Cars: How'd They Do It?
Can any other franchised dealer in the world make the claim that full one-third of its sales are a single model of plug-in electric car? Bourgeois Chevrolet of Rawdon, Quebec, achieved that remarkable level in its sales this year of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car. Now the dealership...
Matthew Klippenstein -
The Videos Car Dealers Hate: Is It 'Haggling' Or 'Negotiating'?
Car dealers often come in for criticism, especially among electric-car advocates and Tesla Motors supporters who have watched state dealership lobbying groups make Tesla's direct-sales model illegal in a number of states. Since 2010, those lobbyists have been altering state laws originally designed...
John Voelcker -
Do Dealer Efforts To Ban Tesla Sales Backfire When Public Notices?
Are car dealers winning battles against Tesla Motors, and its direct-sales model, that will set them up to lose the bigger war? For almost five years, state dealer associations have lobbied legislators to change laws to make Tesla's direct-sales model illegal, requiring that all new cars be sold...
John Voelcker -
A new study finds electric-car buyers are unsatisfied with the dealership experience.
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Iowa Dealers Shut Down Tesla Test Drives As Rep Humiliates Them
Sometimes you almost have to feel sorry for car dealers--or, more specifically, their ineptness at the public-relations end of their fight against electric-car maker Tesla Motors and its direct Internet sales to car buyers. Consider Bruce Anderson, president of the Iowa Automobile Dealers...
John Voelcker -
Tesla 'Will Prevail In All States' Against Dealer Lawsuits: Dealership Commentator
Have we just seen the first crack in the facade of auto-dealer opposition to Tesla Motors selling cars directly to retail buyers? An opinion piece in auto-industry trade journal Ward's Auto concludes with the following remarkable sentences: We can keep Tesla busy defending what are basically...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Wins Dealer Battle In MA: Direct Sales, Stores Are Legal
Massachusetts' highest court affirms the legality of Tesla's company-owned stores.
Stephen Edelstein -
Auto Dealers Try Charm: Why Tesla Direct Sales Hurt Buyers, They Say (Video)
The battle between Tesla Motors, which sells its electric cars directly to buyers over the Internet, and the nation's auto dealers--who want to make that practice illegal--is now in its fifth year. And for the very first time, the dealers' national trade organization has embarked on a charm...
John Voelcker -
FTC Comes Out In Favor Of Tesla Direct Sales, Against Dealer-Backed Bans
The ongoing fight between Tesla Motors and car dealers across the country has spilled from the headlines into the legal system, but so far, the outcome is far from certain. Will Tesla be allowed to sell its cars directly to consumers? Or is there some state interest in forcing Tesla into the dealer...
Nelson Ireson -
You've read the reviews, and it's finally time: You're off to the dealer to replace your old car with a new, much more fuel-efficient vehicle. But then you get to the dealer, and during your test drive, you notice that the gas mileage shown on the car's display is nowhere near the EPA rating. Should you worry? Probably not. MORE: New Diesel SUVs & Crossovers: Jeep, Audi, Mercedes Fuel Economy Tested Let's say you're considering the new 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid, which was our 2014 Best Car To Buy. It has an EPA combined rating of 47 mpg (50 mpg city, 45 mpg highway). It's a popular model...
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Many Car Dealers Don't Want To Sell Electric Cars: Here's Why
The stories abound: A car buyer walks into a dealership, educated about the electric car she wants to buy...and the salesperson tries to convince her she doesn't want that car after all. She really wants a gasoline car, he argues. MORE: Why Some Dealers Are Inept At Selling Plug-In Electric Cars...
John Voelcker -
One Former Fisker Dealer Vanishes Into History (Photos)
Remember Fisker Automotive, the startup carmaker that sold the $106,000 luxury range-extended electric sport sedan called the Karma? Hang onto your memories, because the physical traces of Fisker's existence are vanishing quickly. These photos show what's happening to the dealership that was...
John Voelcker -
Will 100,000 Sign Petition For Tesla Motors Sales By Friday?
On June 5, a Tesla Motors fan mounted what seemed like another quixotic effort to support Tesla in selling its electric cars directly to buyers. The petition at WhiteHouse.gov that he or she launched required 100,000 people to sign it within a month, by Friday, July 5. Suddenly, it seems that...
John Voelcker -
Auto Dealer Groups Escalate Battle Against Tesla Stores
If we had to pick one word to describe Tesla Motors, "audacious" would be at the top of the list. Not only did founder Elon Musk decide to build a car company, which in itself is pretty gutsy. He chose to create a car company that builds nothing but electric cars -- pricey, high-end electric cars...
Richard Read -
Incentives Good For Chevy, Volt Customers, And Dealers, Says Industry Reporter
Last month, Chevrolet sold a record-breaking 2,831 of its Volt plug-in hybrids, making it the top-selling plug-in car in the U.S. to date. No doubt helped by its recent ‘Happy Owner’ online ad campaign, as well as deals offering prices as low as $249 per month or less for a 24-month...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Yesterday, Fisker Automotive, makers of the super-sexy 2012 Karma plug-in hybrid sports car, announced that it had just signed its 80th independent dealer. But Fisker’s 80th dealer, Fisker of Scottsdale, Arizona, isn’t owned by a local independent dealer chain. It’s owned by Penske Automotive. One of the largest and best known auto dealers in the world, Penske Automotive is a Fortune 500 company with approximately 16,000 employees. Around the world, it runs 336 different automotive franchises from 42 different brands, covering everything from everyday car brands like Toyota...
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Got a 2011 Nissan Leaf? Here’s What Your 6 Month Service Is Like
While some lucky 2011 Nissan Leaf owners have had their cars now for nearly 8 months, most are in the magic six-month honeymoon period of owning their new electric hatchback. But what happens when you get to six months of ownership and it’s time for your first Nissan Leaf service? As...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Curious Tire-Kickers Keep Tesla Busy Even Without Cars to Sell
Drop by your local Apple retail store, and you’re bound to see it humming with visitors. But while some are there to hand over their hard-earned cash for a new computer or mobile device many more are there to soak up the apple store experience. Most are there just to window shop, dreaming of...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Are Volt Dealers Really Pocketing Federal Rebates? Maybe Not
It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is in high demand right now--despite its May sales numbers, which are behind those of the 2011 Nissan Leaf. But despite General Motors’ planned increase in production, buying the plug-in hybrid is a little more...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2010 Smart ForTwo Minicars: Still On Sale, Now Even Cheaper
If you're one of the dwindling number of car buyers considering the Smart ForTwo minicar, now may be a good time to close the deal. Smart sent out an e-mail yesterday offering $1,500 of "customer cash" off the purchase price of remaining 2010 ForTwo coupe models, which apparently are still in stock...
John Voelcker -
How Are Car Dealers Getting Ready to Service Electric Cars?
As we've discovered, some car dealers are less than enthusiastic about the prospect of selling and servicing electric cars. Luckily, others are more game. Either way, what can you expect from your local electric car dealership when you take your shiny new EV in for a service? Training You'd be...
Antony Ingram