Tesla just notched another victory against the traditional auto industry: it can sell its electric cars in New Jersey after a nearly year-long ban in the Garden State.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill Wednesday afternoon reauthorizing the Palo Alto, Calif.-based electric automaker to open a maximum of four direct-sale stores with at least one service center. New Jersey last April capitulated to lobbying demands from the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers by passing regulation that halted Tesla's ability to sell its electric cars direct to consumers instead of through independent dealerships.
Tesla's Model S sedans, which range in price between $70,000 and into the six figures, are selling at a faster clip each year, and New Jersey is home to the fourth-largest luxury car market in the US -- behind New York, California and Florida.
