"Oh no! It's a new business model that is different than our old business model! We must use legal means to stop it immediately because we don't know yet if we can compete with it!"
Plus, customers may like it better since the current method is usually despised...
There is no competition to be had. The dealerships aren't scared of competition from Tesla, especially since the price of a Tesla Model S is out of range for the majority of car buyers. What they are scared of is that Tesla sets a precedence for other manufacturers to follow suit which would then put a lot of people out of work.
Putting people out of work == freeing up labor from inefficiencies. They can be productive or inefficient elsewhere, at their own expense, rather than mine.
>What they are scared of is that Tesla sets a precedence for other manufacturers to follow suit which would then put a lot of people out of work.
No. What they're afraid of is that Tesla sets a precedence for other manufacturers to follow suit which would then move revenue out of the dealer's reach. Or: It's not about jobs, it's about money.
What you say is true, but I think it supports my statement. It's the dealerships themselves that have to compete with the business model, not necessarily the automakers. The dealers have to show to the automakers that their method is better or they fail.
Standard tactic in many areas. If you can't compete with someone, just petition the government to hinder them. Diana Moon Glampers will be along to help shortly.
Plus, customers may like it better since the current method is usually despised...