Tesla's model S has been called the best car built in the United States by Motor Trend, Consumer Reports and others, but you can't buy a Tesla in Texas.
Despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk's attempts last year, lobbying the legislature to allow Tesla's direct-to-consumer sales model, the old-guard Texas car dealers outspentMusk and kept Tesla at bay. John O'Dell, senior editor for green cars at edmunds.com says that Tesla should stop battling states and learn to love the regulations.
Will the snub keep Musk from bringing his proposed Gigafactory and its 6,500 high-paying jobs, to our state? Or will Musk use it as leverage?
Musk's space exploration and flight company, SpaceX, has a factory in Waco, TX, and there is speculation that he will build his new spaceport in Brownsville, TX, showing he isn't necessarily done with us yet.
Guests:
- Jim Malewitz, energy writer at the Texas Tribune
- John O'Dell, edmunds.com Senior Green Car Editor
- Andrew Wheat, Research Director for Texans for Public Justice, a watchdog group that tracks money in Texas Government
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*This is the first segment in the March 18 edition of The Source, which airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM -- audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.
