Tesla Motors to open sales of mass-market EV Model 3

Tesla Motors Inc plans to open sales of its mass-market electric vehicle around the same time General Motors releases its electric-car offering, the Chevrolet Bolt, Market Watch reported.

Tesla's founder Elon Musk, need not loose sleep over the competition.  According to Theodore O'Neill, an analyst with Ascendiant Capital Markets, the Bolt was not an attractive car, and it was not likely to be able to travel the 200 miles promised on a battery that appeared to be small.

The Chevy Bolt would roll out of a small-car plant north of Detroit. GM unveiled the Bolt last month at the Detroit auto show. The Chevrolet Bolt (not to be confused with the existing Chevrolet Volt) would carry a price tag of $30,000 and go on sale in early 2017, according to GM.

That coincided with Tesla, looking to start sales of its Model 3, expected to cost around $35,000. The Model 3, Tesla's planned mass-market car takes the third spot on Tesla's lineup after the Model S luxury sedan and the coming SUV, the Model X.

GM already has the Chevy Volt, a hybrid under redesign for 2015 and had a small gas motor to boost its battery range.

Meanwhile, NBC Connecticut reported that for the first time yesterday, Connecticut lawmakers heard some of the arguments on a proposal to allow Tesla Motors to operate non-franchised dealerships in the state.

Tesla's electric cars do not require the same maintenance as traditional automobiles with internal combustion engines and they also used a different business model than other auto companies. The company's operations extended across 20 states and it owned each of the stores where it sold cars directly to consumers.

In a public hearing yesterday, Tesla Motors told lawmakers why its business model needed to be given a chance in Connecticut, while auto dealers in the state explained why the proposal should not be allowed to shift into drive.

''We are looking for the opportunity to apply for and receive a dealer license subject to the same regulations as any other dealer,'' said Jim Chen, Tesla's vice president of regulatory affairs. ''We're getting shut out from that.''

According to Chen, the company was not looking for any kind of carve-out from state laws that governed franchises and consumer protection. He maintained that the company merely wanted to be able to sell its cars just like any other manufacturer.