Tesla has been subject to its fair share of odd government requirements, like the direct sales bills the company has had to fight in numerous states. More recently, however, Tesla’s service center in New Orleans, Lousiana has come under fire for a law prohibiting warranty repairs, which may jeopardize the company’s ability to stay in the state.
On Tuesday, Tesla shared a page on its website detailing a Louisiana law that prohibits Tesla from providing warranty repairs for customers, which Tesla says the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission (LMVC) is “misinterpreting,” and using to push Tesla out of the state.
The page encourages fans to contact Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards over the issue, since he appointed the LMVC.
@LouisianaGov Good afternoon Governor John Bel Edwards, can people who own Teslas in Louisiana count on you? pic.twitter.com/KgHnxQBOTQ
— Gail Alfar (Texas) (@GailAlfarATX) April 20, 2021
Since the post, Tesla fans have rallied on Twitter to support the company, even tweeting directly at Governor Edwards.
While Tesla currently only has the New Orleans service center in Louisiana, the company says that such a move of ceasing warranty repair functions in the state would force its customers to travel beyond the state for these appointments, and potentially even force the service center to shut down.
Tesla has also fought or is currently fighting against direct sales laws in Michigan and Texas, among others, which effectively attempt to ban small electric vehicle (EV) companies from selling directly to consumers, rather than using dealership-style sales franchises like larger automakers.
