On Thursday, Tesla Motors (TSLA) received some surprising support for its effort to sell cars directly to consumers.
TSLA has been fighting laws in various states that require vehicles to be sold through independent dealerships. Now, three high-ranking officials with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) say that Tesla should be able to sell its luxury electric care directly to buyers, Reuters notes.
In a blog post, the FTC’s director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning, director of the Bureau of Competition and director of the Bureau of Economics called state bans on direct car sales “bad policy.” The three officials noted that they were not expressing an official FTC position, just their own personal opinions.
TSLA has encountered resistance from dealership associations and lobbyists in a number of states. The FTC officials wrote: “change can sometimes be difficult for established competitors that are used to operating in a particular way, but consumers can benefit from change that also challenges longstanding competitors.”
TSLA shares rose slightly in Thursday afternoon trading. Tesla stock closed at $207.99 per share on Wednesday.
More Tesla News:
