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Tesla having trouble selling all over Australia, too

Australia and Texas have more in common than those super macho hats. Indeed, when it comes to Tesla Motors' attempts to sell its all-electric Model S to the public, the country Down Under and the Lone Star state continue to insist on the old-school approach to car sales. Which has never sat well with California-based Tesla. Tesla, which started sales in Australia early last month, is encountering opposition from the Australian state of Victoria. The issue, as with much of the US, is Victoria's adherence to the traditional auto distribution network where automakers sell only through third-party dealerships. That means folks visiting Tesla's showroom in the Victorian city of Chadstone not only can't buy a sedan there, but they can't even discuss pricing, says Bidness Etc. Regulators in New Jersey, Michigan and, yes, Texas have taken a similarly hard line approach to Tesla and its wishes to own its distribution network outright. All is not lost, however, as Tesla's Sydney dealership is fully operational. The automaker is looking to connect Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney via a Supercharger fast-charging network similar to the one strung across parts of North America and Europe. The Model S in Australia starts at around $82,000 US. Those curious can check out Tesla's Australia page here. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S View 24 Photos News Source: Bidness Etc. Green Tesla Electric victoria

Connecticut might allow direct Tesla sales

Add Connecticut to the list of states that may let Tesla Motors sell its electric vehicles directly to the public without third-party dealerships. And add Connecticut dealership organizations to the list of groups decrying such an allowance. The cold weather has no impact on that rather heated discussion, apparently. Late last week, Connecticut legislators discussed the possibility of exempting Tesla from the current state law requiring a third-party distributor to sell cars, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Tesla, which already has a vehicle-repair facility in Milford, may be allowed to have a handful of dealerships throughout the Nutmeg State. The issue gained momentum last month when Art Linares, a Republican senator from Connecticut, had to go to a dealership in White Plains, NY, to buy his Tesla Model S. That effort has given credence to the argument that the state is losing business and revenue-collecting opportunities by forcing buyers to go to neighboring states such as New York or Massachusetts to shop for and ultimately buy a Tesla. Earlier this month, Arizona's House Commerce Committee moved a little closer to allowing direct Tesla sales there by voting in favor of House Bill 2216. States like Texas, Michigan and New Jersey remain holdouts in preserving the current dealership laws and preventing direct Tesla sales.

100 Tesla Model S hatchbacks to get NCE convertible conversions

The folks Newport Convertible Engineering have made a specialty out of taking coupes and sedans and converting them into convertibles. Sometimes this results in absolutely weird creations like a Range Rover droptop, but its latest project is significantly greener. The company has developed hard and soft top conversions for the Tesla Model S, and they are already quite popular too. An investor in China has ordered 100 of them.
NCE has been working on creating the two versions of the convertible Model S for the last six months, and it involves a lot more than just cutting the roof off. "Some sections needed restructured," said Al Zadeh, the company's CEO, to Autoblog about the changes made to maintain rigidity. A soft-top conversion costs $29,000 and a hard-top $49,000. In addition to these prices, buyers must supply a donor vehicle. Production is due to start in July in California, Dubai, and Barcelona, Spain.
This might be just the beginning for NCE's convertible Model S. Zadeh says that the company has made an inquiry with Tesla about whether it could supply 5,000 cars for conversion to satisfy predicted demand. He will release more details on the project "when the time is right." Scroll down for NCE's official announcement of the 100-car order.