Utah Tesla

I have a pretty picture of the Salt Lake Tesla dealership. The dealership ended up creating a controversy.

Utah state laws wanted to protected local businesses. State regulations prevent car dealers from owning dealerships. Tesla has advanced computer programs in their cars which they want to update regularly. The company feels that the dealership model doesn't work for them.

Tesla built a building on State Street in Salt Lake, but the dealerships blocked Tesla from opening the facility. So their new facility sits empty.

There are no longer small dealerships in the state. A battle brewed between big companies. Apparently the Utah Legislature caved into consumer demand and passed HB 0369 in March, 2018. This created a path for Tesla to open its business.

In unrelated news: A Tesla crashed into a firetruck while in autopilot mode in South Jordan, Utah on May 11.

While I like that Tesla is pioneering electric cars, I am not as happy that they are jeopardizing the future of environmentally cars by pushing self-driving cars before the technology is ready for prime time.