Tesla going ‘Native’

Tesla has opened its first store and repair shop on Native American land, dodging car-dealership laws that have stymied its expansion plans across the country.

The Elon Musk-helmed carmaker opened a store and service center in Nambé Pueblo, NM, a tribal area about 25 minutes north of Santa Fe that is not subject to laws that have prevented Tesla from opening stores elsewhere from the state.

Tesla sells its vehicles to customers directly, while most other automakers partner with third-party dealerships. Ten states, including New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut, have laws banning direct sales, so many Tesla customers have had to cross state lines to purchase their vehicles.

The New Mexico store marks the first time Tesla has worked with a tribe to get around state dealership laws. Supporters of such laws say they protect middle-class jobs and lead to lower prices by forcing dealerships to compete, while critics say people can get information online and direct sales would lower costs.

Until now, New Mexico Tesla buyers had to pay thousands of dollars to have their cars shipped or travel to other states to pick them up. For repairs, owners had to travel to service centers in Colorado, Arizona or Texas, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper.