Another bit of bad news for Tesla: Texas will not be allowing the auto manufacturer to sell direct to consumers after legislation failed to pass the state legislature despite support from both parties.
The deadline passed for the bill late last week, AutoBlog reports. It would have allowed Tesla stores in Texas to actually help customers get into an electric car. Currently, the law doesn’t allow pricing displays or test drives, a rule designed to protect franchise dealers. Unlike most car manufacturers, Tesla sells its cars directly to consumers rather than through dealerships.
Democratic state Rep. Senfronia Thompson criticized the company by saying that “it would have been wiser if Mr. Tesla had sat down with the car dealers first.” But there is no “Mr. Tesla” involved in the company, which is named after the late inventor Nikola Tesla and is founded and run by Elon Musk.
This article originally appeared on Fortune.com
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com