Tesla Opens Showroom And Service Center On New Mexico Indian Reservation

Tesla repurposed a defunct casino on Nambe Pueblo, an Indian reservation in New Mexico, turning it into a showroom and service center, according to Business Insider. The facility had to be on Indian land, to circumvent New Mexico laws that prohibit automotive companies from selling directly to customers. Those laws exist primarily to protect local car dealers.

Phillip Perez, the governor of Nambé Pueblo, told the publication, “We are proud to be the first tribe to have Tesla on Indian lands.”

I love this move. Indian reservations have long struck me as fertile locations for many new businesses and organizations that are blocked by special interests elsewhere. I’ve hoped Indian reservations would open up medical schools, pharmacies, and hospitals that operate unencumbered by the regulations in place in most states.

Published

Originally published at http://davidsilver.blog on September 20, 2021.