The Washington Free Beacon's Ellison Barber moderated a BlazeTV Real News discussion Thursday on the decision of New Jersey to effectively ban Tesla from selling cars in the state.
The panel discussed the influence of the local automotive industry's deep pockets over New Jersey politics, whether the move was bad for innovation in the U.S., "protectionism" at the state level, and the overall broader implications of the decision to prevent Tesla from doing business.
New Jersey became the third state to ban Tesla by barring auto manufacturers from selling their cars directly to consumers, which conflicts with Tesla's sales model. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that "state motor vehicle officials had approved a regulation requiring all new car dealers to obtain franchise agreements to receive state licenses, a move critics say will hurt the electric-car industry's attempts to expand."