Free Republic

Ron DeSantis has signed a law banning automakers from selling cars direct to consumers in Florida – but it contains a carve-out that will benefit his political backer Elon Musk and his Tesla company.House Bill 637 requires most automakers to sell to Floridians through third-party car dealers, who sometimes add exorbitant markups to vehicles’ sales tags.Drafted by lobbyists for dealers, who have made substantial donations to DeSantis, the law could have been a big blow to Tesla owner Elon Musk, who hosted his glitchy presidential campaign launch on Twitter.Tesla cuts out the middleman by operating its own dealerships. Forcing it...

Tesla got a carve-out. It’s a good day for auto dealers in the Sunshine State, and not so great for motorists who’d prefer a more direct route for buying a new coupe, sedan or SUV. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure (HB 637) banning most direct-to-consumer vehicle sales, solidifying the future viability of car-selling operations across the Sunshine State. The measure, championed and authored by lobbyists representing the Florida Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), prohibits automakers from selling vehicles directly to buyers.That restriction, which goes into effect July 1, was considered a direct threat to the business model of Tesla, an...

They don’t even hide their intentions anymore. As inflation continues to climb to record highs Joe Biden on Friday commented on the rise in car prices. Joe actually said if car prices are high, then one way to reduce the demand for cars was “to make Americans poorer.” It’s the Democrat way! And people actually listen to this nonsense. video

A microchip shortage is translating to higher car prices across America. CBS reported that the average price of a new car has topped $40,000 and that used car prices have risen nearly 30 percent due to the shortage. Lansing, Michigan, resident Heather Lyons knows that firsthand. In looking to buy a replacement for a totaled car, she said she will end up paying more to get less, according to WILX-TV. “It really is bad. My car payment last time for a decent vehicle was something I could afford and this time it’s going to be a worse vehicle for more...