CHARLOTTE, NC– The NC DMV ruled Thursday that Tesla Motors cannot sell or take orders for their vehicles in the Charlotte area.
North Carolina State law prohibits any auto manufacturer from selling directly to consumers unless the car maker can secure an “exception”.
After a two day hearing in Matthews, the DMV rejected Tesla’s “exception” which is only granted if the car company shows that selling automobiles directly would benefit consumers.
Consumers can buy or order Tesla’s from the Raleigh company store but questions of why Raleigh’s location is able to sell Tesla vehicles has been unanswered.
At the two day hearing, DMV officer Larry Green said, “not only did Tesla fail to make it’s case that selling it’s own cars would be in the best interest of the public, but there was also a local alternative.”
Tesla Motors’ will now have to appeal to the DMV commissioner in Raleigh. If they are unsuccessful, they can take the NC DMV to court.
