Dive Brief:

• A bill introduced in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature would allow electric vehicles to be sold directly to customers, not necessarily through auto dealerships.
• The measure targets a state Motor Vehicle Commission rule, instituted earlier this month, that bars such direct sales. Gov. Chris Christie said that in imposing the rule, the commission was only carrying out an existing law. But “[t]he governor is playing his entire blame game,’’ said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey.
• Tesla Motors has two stores in New Jersey, as it has in shopping malls elsewhere, where customers can see and buy the expensive -- up to $100,000 each -- cars. For Tesla, the direct sales are important: The new state rule would force the company out of the state as soon as next month, it says. 

Dive Insight:

Gov. Christie generated a lot of heat from conservatives and liberals alike by endorsing the restrictive rule, which was backed by the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers. Texas and Arizona have similar bans. For New Jersey, the issue is not only interference with commerce, but also a dampening impact on EV sales in a state that has tried to encourage zero-emission cars to reduce auto emissions.