Judge: Tesla is selling at Greenwich ‘gallery’

Despite claims to the contrary, Superior Court Judge Joseph Shortall has agreed with the state Department of Motor Vehicles that Tesla is illegally selling its cars out of its Greenwich gallery.

The electric car maker sued the DMV in June 2017 after the department reached the same conclusion regarding the sale of vehicles without a dealer license. The DMV took up a complaint filed by the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association, which represents car dealerships in Connecticut.

State law prohibits the direct sale of vehicles to consumers by manufacturers. It currently requires sales through a franchise dealership license.

Tesla doesn’t believe its gallery activities require such a license.

In court documents, Tesla maintained that it “does no more at the gallery than display example vehicles, educate consumers about them and promote their benefits, and explain how consumers may lawfully purchase them online or at licensed Tesla stores in other states.”

Through a spokesperson the company said they disagree with the decision.

“Tesla disagrees with the judge’s decision, and we stand by our mission to educate the public and raise awareness about the benefits of EVs because getting more EVs on the road is the right thing to do for the environment and for the battle against climate change,” a Tesla spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

But the court concluded more than education was happening at the Greenwich location.