[gkr778]

sometimes Tesla is prohibited by law from opening a service center in a given State.

Currently, that applies to New Mexico, Alabama, and South Carolina. The other 47 U.S. states have no prohibitions on Tesla operating service centers.

Tesla got around the restriction in New Mexico by working with Pueblo Indian leaders in that state, siting a service center on tribal land not subject to New Mexico Statutes, Section 57-16-5-V.

 

[gkr778]

Tesla also relies on GM and Ford for its service vehicle fleet.

 

[gkr778]

Already been tried (corporation-owned dealerships). GM lost that battle in court.

+1
And in markets like Brazil where GM was permitted to sell new cars directly to consumers, it lost the battle in the marketplace. As I mentioned in another thread:

GM did just that [direct to consumer sales] with the Brazil domestic market Chevy Celta in 2000. After six years, they discontinued this direct to consumer initiative because instead of reducing costs and providing a better customer experience as the company originally anticipated, it simply shifted costs from dealers to GM.

GM is unlikely conduct such a test again in any market where it operates. The direct to consumer model is ill suited for retail sales of mass market new cars and light trucks.

 

[gkr778]

You're assuming Elon actually cares about getting this stuff done or servicing his products.
It's easier (and possibly cheaper) to just outsource it to GM.

Elon doesn't care about anything other than stoking his ego.

Tesla doesn't actually have an official business agreement with General Motors dealerships for servicing Tesla products. It just turns out that 11,180 repair orders at GM dealerships since 2021 involved a Tesla vehicle.

That makes sense, as GM dealerships perennially score above average in customer satisfaction with service and repair. Plus, GM dealership service departments benefit from the automaker's industry leading engineering expertise with electric vehicles. GM designed, engineered, sold, and serviced electric vehicles long before Tesla Inc. even existed.

 

[gkr778]

C'mon man, can't you remember when Elon was sleeping under his desk at work while building trouble prone Tesla's in tents?

I remember that, but to your point Elon was sleeping while other people were building.

 

[gkr778]

This is true. Try to do something only a hipster could love (totally online experience), it'll bite ya eventually. They need actual dealerships/repair facilities.

Even the hip young whippersnappers prefer traditional car dealerships for purchasing and servicing EV. From Escalent's EVForward report:

• 57% prefer the traditional approach to car buying, while just 20% prefer Tesla’s direct retail model.
• 94% of respondents younger than 35 are satisfied with dealerships—the highest of any group. Among all groups, 87% indicate satisfaction with dealerships.
• Further, a majority prefer that many of the phases of the car-buying process take place in-person rather than virtually:
  • Purchase – 75%
  • Arranging for financing – 60%
  • Taking delivery of the vehicle (at dealership as opposed to at home) – 85%
  • Repairs and service (as opposed to tech coming to home) – 79%