Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk has drawn the ire of Democrats due to his role in the Trump administration‘s efforts to cut waste in the federal government, with some New York lawmakers targeting his company with a new piece of legislation.
Tesla has been the target of protests and attacks from Democrats in recent months as their opposition to Musk has intensified. In the New York legislature, Democratic state Sen. Patricia Fahy introduced legislation Wednesday that would take away Tesla’s permits to run five showrooms in the state and open it up to other electric vehicle manufacturers seeking to sell directly to consumers.
“No matter what we do, we’ve got to take this from Elon Musk,” Fahy told Politico. “He’s part of an effort to go backward.”
New York law limits how cars can be sold to consumers. Tesla brokered a deal in 2014 to allow its five stores to continue selling directly to consumers rather than through a third-party franchise.
Fahy’s legislation would allow “new [zero-emission vehicle] manufacturers who were not previously granted certificates to enter the market, ensuring fair access to this limited opportunity.”
Another Democrat in the New York legislature, Assemblyman Bobby Carroll, said he wants to end direct sales in the state rather than offer permits to other EV manufacturers.
DC POLICE TO INVESTIGATE TESLA ATTACKS AS HATE CRIMES WITH HEFTIER PENALTIES
Tesla showrooms across the country have seen protests in response to Musk’s work as an adviser in the White House. The vehicles have also become targets of vandalism and attacks.
In Washington, D.C., police announced plans to investigate attacks on Tesla vehicles as hate crimes, which could incur steeper penalties. The FBI said it also launched a task force aimed at cracking down on the violent attacks.