HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - State lawmakers say negotiations are underway between electric car-maker Tesla Motors and Connecticut auto dealers to see if they can finally reach a compromise allowing Tesla to sell its vehicles directly to consumers.
The General Assembly’s Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee voted 32-19 on Tuesday to allow Tesla to bypass the state’s existing franchise system, but it’s questionable whether that’s what the final bill will say.
Republican Sen. Scott Frantz of Greenwich, a committee co-chairman, says he was voting to keep the bill alive “in the interest of keeping those negotiations going in a good light.”
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Tesla has been lobbying for several years to open retail outlets in Connecticut, but lawmakers have failed to pass the necessary legislation. State law currently prevents a vehicle manufacturer from also being a retailer.
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