Jim Ziegler:

Don’t shoot the messenger. But I honestly believe he’s going to bust some of the dealer franchise laws in all 50 states. He ultimately will be responsible for manufacturer-direct sales in competition with franchised dealers.
 
 Oh, we’ll be kicking screaming, gouging and biting right up until the end. But it’s coming, and after the dust settles, the industry will emerge better for it.
 
 Who is this guy Musk anyway? He’s a South-African transplant who made his money as co-founder of PayPal in 2000. Revolutionary at the time, PayPal allowed people to pay online without using credit cards.
 
 He has a contract with NASA to produce a commercial spacecraft to replace the Space Shuttle. This guy is the real deal, and his ultimate vision is space exploration with reusable spacecraft using something other than rocket propulsion.
 
 Musk also is the chairman and driving force behind “Solar City,” the first viable production of cheap solar electricity for residential and commercial use.
 
 And then there’s his Tesla Motors, the electric car company that is challenging the traditional dealership system in favor of factory stores.
 
 Besides scaring the Bejesus out of the car dealers, he’s also got the electric companies nationwide on the edge of their seats. His achievements and out-of-the-box thinking are awesome.