AUSTIN, Texas — Austin-based automaker Tesla hosted its quarterly shareholders meeting Wednesday and one of the topics discussed was the newly opened Giga Texas factory near Del Valle.
During the meeting, CEO Elon Musk said he anticipates the factory will be able to scale up production of its ubiquitous electric fleet of vehicles by 30% compared to 2021. Additionally, Musk discussed the state’s ban on direct-to-consumer sales of their vehicles. Currently, anyone wanting to purchase a Tesla has to go through a third party.
The state ban is in response to independent car dealerships who stand to lose business if the ban was repealed. Musk said currently there’s no appetite in Congress to pursue a federal law that would allow direct-to-consumer sales.
While there were some efforts to allow these kinds of sales during the last legislative session, they were ultimately unsuccessful. Some lawmakers are reportedly trying to bring up the issue once again next year.
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