Tesla skirts Connecticut’s direct car sales ban, plans retail location at Mohegan Sun

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 8:58 PM
  • Erica E. Phillips, CT Mirror

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has been selling its cars to eager U.S. consumers since 2008. But not in Connecticut.

This state is one of more than a dozen that ban automobile manufacturers from selling directly to consumers, requiring instead that new cars be purchased through a licensed dealership. Tesla sells all of its new vehicles directly to consumers, primarily via online ordering, and delivers them through a network of storefronts in states that allow the company’s direct-sales model.

For Connecticut EV enthusiasts, picking up a newly purchased Tesla meant driving across state lines — until now.

On Wednesday, Mohegan Sun announced that Tesla plans to open a “Sales & Delivery Center” at the casino’s mall before the end of this year.