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Michigan gets into anti-Tesla legislation game

If you figured the home of the US car industry would be against messing with the age-old, franchised-dealer auto distribution system, you'd be right. Michigan, home to the Big Three US automotive companies (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, now Fiat Chrysler), is moving towards officially disallowing companies like Tesla Motors from selling their cars directly to consumers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tesla will naturally fight this, but it's one more challenge for the California-based automaker. Both chambers of Michigan's legislature approved bills banning automakers from selling cars to the public without doing so through a third-party franchised dealership. Tesla once again will rally against this, arguing that the uniqueness of its electric vehicles prevents third-party dealers from properly marketing the cars. Legislation like this continues to make its way through various states, with varying degrees of approval. Last month, the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association stated its intention to shut down Tesla's one state store and prevent two planned outlets from opening. Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Arizona have also taken a hardline approach to preventing direct automaker-to-public sales. Tesla has worked out compromises in other areas, for example with Pennsylvania in August. There, electric vehicles are now exempted from the franchised-dealer mandate.

Porsche Taycan 4S, Ferrari Roma and a tuned Ford Ranger | Autoblog Podcast #624

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder to recap Earth Day 2020 coverage, including a first drive and range test of the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S, Tesla and the state of the EV industry, and what we think are the best green cars of all time. Then they shift gears to talk about the Ranger pickup getting a tuning package from Ford, as well as their own dives through the Ferrari Roma configurator. They discuss the cars they've been driving — the 2020 VW Jetta and our long-term 2019 Subaru Forester. Lastly, they reach into the mailbag to help a listener buy a used car. Autoblog Podcast #624 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Earth Day recap 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S Tesla and the EV industry The best green cars of all time Ranger gets a tuning package from Ford Configuring the Ferrari Roma Cars we're driving 2020 Volkswagen Jetta 2019 Subaru Forester long-term update Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Elon Musk promises $1 million, Supercharger for New York's Nikola Tesla Museum

Earlier this year, Matthew Inman, the creator of The Oatmeal, penned a gushing review of his Tesla Model S, and followed it up with a request to Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk for $8 million to help build a museum dedicated to the achievements of the company's namesake because "any less than $8M would pretty much leave us in the same boat we're in now." Musk Tweeted a response that said, "I would be happy to help." So, the news that Musk will donate $1 million to the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe towards the construction of the museum, which will be built on a 16-acre site in honor of scientist Nikola Tesla, is a mixed blessing. A million bucks is a million bucks, but it's not the amount Inman was hoping for. The museum says, "[Musk] has challenged us at the Center to use our resources wisely, find additional resources, and reach our goal of creating this museum." In other words, anyone have $7 million? The plan is to locate the museum in Shoreham, New York, on Long Island's north shore, about 65 miles northeast of New York City. It's also the site of Nikola Tesla's last laboratory. He started working there in 1901 on an unfinished project that would have essentially been a precursor to e-mail. Thursday marked the 158th anniversary of Nikola Tesla's birth. The scientist died in 1943. On top of the cool million, Musk says he will also build a Supercharger fast-charging station on site for those making the trip out to the museum in a Model S. So the Science Center will be just like Lusk, WY. You can check out the Tesla Science Center's press release below. Musk Funds Tesla Science Center in Shoreham Shoreham, New York – July 10, 2014 A birthday party was held for famous inventor Nikola Tesla at the site of his last laboratory, in Shoreham, NY, where Jane Alcorn, president of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe announced that Elon Musk, owner of Tesla Motors, had pledged $1 million to the Tesla Science Center, plus a Tesla supercharging station to the Tesla Science Center saying, "He has challenged us at the Center to use our resources wisely, find additional resources, and reach our goal of creating this museum." A donation had been suggested by Matthew Inman of theOatmeal.com, who will comment via his website. "We are excited and extremely grateful for Mr. Musk's generous gift to Tesla Science Center, and also to Matthew Inman for arranging the opportunity," she said.