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Tesla Inc. , which has struggled unsuccessfully for years to sell cars in Connecticut, walked away from South Windsor planners who said the electric vehicle maker was welcome, but not at their favorite site.
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously rejected a Tesla sales and after-sales service project Tuesday night. Buckland Road was in the wrong place.
They recommended another site in South Windsor to the electric vehicle manufacturer. This was rejected by Tesla, which avoids joining dealerships clustered along busy roads and sells cars in or near grocery malls to attract shoppers.
John Hauser, a Denver real estate developer who works with Tesla, said the automaker would explore other cities. He told planners that Tesla needs a presence on Buckland Road, in the former LA Fitness gym that closed in June, because it’s an “evolving hub. “green energy company” that would take advantage of its proximity to consumers at the Evergreen Walk Apple Store and a Whole Foods Market assignment “not Ford and Chevy. “
“I appreciate the fact that whether you’ve misexplained me or you don’t settle for the fact that we’re not a classic car dealership, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Hauser said. “But we probably won’t move on to an election later. We will probably move on to the next city that sees us differently.
The General Assembly has rejected attempts by Tesla, other electric vehicle brands and their allies to enact a law allowing the sale of cars directly to consumers. State law only allows the sale of cars through car dealerships, a business style Tesla rejects.
Connecticut car buyers will have to go to Westchester County in New York City, Boston or other Massachusetts cities to shop at a Tesla store.
Tesla’s south windsor app included a proposed retail store that Hauser said he would remove from the app because it doesn’t comply with Connecticut law. Instead, the automaker allegedly used it to repair and recharge cars and promote solar products, battery parts and other equipment. .
The variety of sites was met with opposition from planners and some citizens who said Buckland Road Gateway’s growth dominance did not allow auto companies and that exceptions would lead to more car dealerships. Planners recommended alternatives, such as Route 5.
Car dealerships that operate in most House and Senate districts and are active in their communities have deployed their political strength in the General Assembly to end the multi-year law allowing Tesla to sell in Connecticut.
The Connecticut Automotive Retail Association, which has led opposition to Tesla, reminded planners that the state prohibits Tesla from operating as a sales company. and Zoning Commission.
Two racers repeated familiar arguments opposed to the automaker. Bob Selig, a South Windsor resident and Ford’s Windsor broker, told planners that the brokers were protective consumers who would be undermined by Tesla’s direct-to-consumer model.
Tyrrell Dabrowski, sales director at Hoffmann Auto Group, said Tesla’s sales would lead to the immediate arrival of electric cars. “Direct-selling electric cars like Tesla are cherished luxury cars and only account for a very small percentage of the cars sold. “he told the plan-making commission.
Dealers will offer consumers a “large selection” of electric and hybrid vehicles, Dabrowski said.
Last year, Hoffman Auto Group sued Tesla, East Hartford and a development company that won city approval to open a Tesla service center and showroom. The dealership said East Hartford’s decision to allow the showroom violated Connecticut law.
East Hartford revoked its licenses for Tesla.
The auto dealership organization also challenged Tesla in the state Supreme Court for its attempt to sell cars in a Greenwich showroom. A Superior Court ruling in December 2018 that Tesla was illegally promoting from its Greenwich gallery, the company said it opened the Greenwich gallery to teach Connecticut citizens about Tesla’s electric cars. Tesla operates a showroom on site.
Tesla rents its electric cars at its Milford site, which according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles in 2019 complies with state law because the automaker has a license to rent cars.
South Windsor Commissioner Stephanie Dexter, a Republican, said she was confident Connecticut would eventually legalize direct vehicle sales.
“We are all a choice,” he said.
Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant. com.