Some of the toughest automobile dealership laws in the US are in Texas. Tesla Motors made a significant effort in Texas aimed at a law which would have given companies like Tesla Motors an exception to sell cars directly. It failed.

Tesla was outspent by political contributions by Auto Dealers

A research report by Texans For Public Justice concluded that Tesla was outspent by car dealerships. Car dealerships "have a lot of cash and a vested interest in the status quo" meaning that they're rich from selling cars, and they need to protect their position as the middle-man between car companies and the customers.

Get the report: http://info.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/pdf/AutoDealersvTesla.pdf

Texas Trouble For Tesla Motors (TSLA): Here Are The Two Men (And Two PACs) Who Funded Most Car Dealer Contributions To Texas Lawmakers Sept. 27, 2013

Concerns two big-time auto dealers in Texas who rallied together massive amounts of donations to political candidates.

Thomas H. Friedkin - a Billionaire - owns the second largest Toyota distribution franchise anywhere, Gulf States Toyota Distributors, with sales operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. Friedkin�s share of all car-dealer contributions to Texas politicians in 2011/12: 18 percent, or $453,324. He also runs Gulf States Toyota PAC that funneled huge amounts of money to politicians.

Billy Joe �Red� McCombs - self-made billionaire college dropout is the co-founder of mass media giant Clear Channel Communications, Inc. and chairman of the controversial private-military operator Academi (more commonly known by its former name Blackwater Worldwide), as well as the former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Vikings. He owns an automobile dealers group in San Antonio.