New Jersey Legislature to Tesla’s Rescue?

A few weeks ago, Governor Chris Christie’s administration was widely criticized for forbidding Tesla to sell its cars directly to consumers within New Jersey. Christie defended the unpopular decision, noting that the state’s franchise laws prohibit auto manufacturers from selling directly to consumers. “My job is not to make the laws, it’s to enforce the laws. And Tesla was operating outside the law,” Christie said, encouraging the New Jersey Legislature to fix the problem.

Last week Assemblyman Tim Eustace (D-Bergen/Passaic), who drives an electric car himself, answered the call. He introduced a bill, which allows any motor vehicle franchisor who manufactures electric vehicles to sell directly to consumers. In an interview with NJTV, Eustace said that he is looking forward to a solution for New Jersey jobs, businesses, and citizens.

Notably, the bill is limited to sales of electric cars, which could help eliminate some of the objections from the auto dealers. The powerful auto dealer lobby has fought direct auto manufacturer sales because they would infringe on auto dealers’ businesses. But as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pointed out, dealers do not want to sell electric cars because they require less maintenance, which is a dealership’s bread and butter.

“They make most of their profit from service, but electric cars require much less service than gasoline cars. There are no oil, spark plug or fuel filter changes, no tune-ups and no smog checks needed for an electric car,” Musk wrote on his company’s website.

Jim Appleton, president of the auto dealer lobby, the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, said he thinks the limitation in Eustace’s bill is reasonable, though he cautioned that he doesn’t know its details yet. ”To the extent that there is legislation that would allow an all-zero emission vehicle automaker to enter the market for a period of time without franchises, before they eventually convert to a franchise system, it makes sense,” Appleton said.

The Eustace bill may have shown up just in time to keep Tesla in New Jersey. Even with the short reprieve recently granted to Tesla, the car company will still be forced to close its New Jersey shops by April 15 if the bill doesn’t pass by then. But Eustace is hopeful that it will. “Maybe we’ll get something done in 15 days,” Eustace said. “The governor said in one of his town halls last week that he wanted a solution to this. I’ll take him at his word.”

News Source: USA Today

Gasoline rationing takes effect in 12 New Jersey counties

Last night, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared a limited state of energy emergency with regard to the supply of motor fuel and implemented odd-even rationing for gasoline purchases in 12 New Jersey counties. Odd-even fuel sales took effect at noon today in the following counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

As New Jerseyans continue the long process of recovering from Hurricane Sandy, it’s imperative that our families have secure, reliable access to essential supplies like fuel. Right now, the impact of the storm, particularly the continuance of widespread power outages, has created the disorderly sale of gas—including long lines, out of operation stations, and stations facing shortages. This system will ease the strain on those gas stations still operating, while we work to bring more online for the public to access fuel, in a manner that is fair, easy to understand, and less stressful.

—Governor Christie

NJ counties with gasoline rationing. Click to enlarge.

All retail dealers of motor fuel will be required only to sell motor fuel for use in a passenger automobile bearing license plates, the last number of which is an even number, on even numbered days of each month. Likewise sales will only be permitted to passenger automobiles bearing license plates ending in odd numbers on odd numbered days of the month. Specialized plates—or those not displaying a number—will be considered odd numbered plates.

Governor Christie and Attorney General Jeff Chiesa pledged to aggressively and vigorously enforce the order to ensure compliance and the effectiveness of the policy in the affected counties.

The orderly and reliable sale of gas to our residents is essential to maintaining a steady and reliable source of power for both transportation and the maintenance of essential services at home. With the challenges we face in the storm’s aftermath, we will be vigilant in enforcing this odd-even system, as we ease the stresses on the system. I encourage all New Jerseyans to abide by this system—motorists and retail dealers alike—to ease wait times and improve access for everyone. Those who choose to disregard this order will be prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted under the Governor’s state of emergency authority.

—Attorney General Jeffery S. Chiesa

These sales provision will remain in effect for as long as the Governor’s limited declared state of energy emergency is in effect in those 12 counties.

Source: Green Car Congress