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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder hasn't yet signed anti-Tesla legislation

The nation's auto dealers are taking their fight against Tesla and its direct method of selling cars to consumers to the symbolic heart of the auto industry. In Michigan, a bill that would entrench the existing dealer networks and prohibit direct car sales to buyers has passed both the state's house and senate, and awaits Gov. Rick Snyder's signature. A spokesperson for Snyder says a determination on whether he'll sign the legislation has not yet been made. "Right now, the staff is doing its due diligence and studying the bill," spokesperson Dave Murray said. Snyder has until Tuesday to act on the bill. Fighting this sort of legislation is nothing new for Tesla, which has already lost such legislative fights against auto dealers in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland and other states. "We're fighting these actions as they come up," said James Chen, vice president for regulatory affairs and associate general counsel at Tesla. While Snyder's staff said the governor has not yet made up his mind, executives from Detroit's Big Three automakers and state car dealers are some of the top individual donors to his ongoing campaign to retain the governorship. Campaign records show Martha Ford has given $10,200 to the Snyder campaign, while her brother, William Clay Ford Jr., has donated $3,400. Edsel B. Ford II has also given $3,400 to Snyder, who is in a tight race against Democratic challenger Mark Schauer. Michigan car dealer magnate Paul Alandt has donated $6,800 to the Snyder campaign. His wife, Lynn Ford Alandt, daughter of Benson Ford, has donated $6,200 so far in this election cycle. Other car dealers that have given to Snyder include: Richard Garber Jr., president of Garber Chevrolet in Saginaw, Michigan; Howard Cooper, past owner of Howard Cooper Honda in Ann Arbor; Joseph Sesi, president of Sesi Motors in Ann Arbor; Michael Savoie of Savoie Chevrolet in Troy, Michigan; John Kudner of Art Moehn Chevrolet and David Fisher of The Suburban Collection, which touts itself as Michigan's largest car dealer. All have given between $2,000 and $4,000, according to election records collected by the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonpartisan archive of contributions to political campaigns.

Why Tesla's $35,000 Model E is a pipe dream

A car that costs 80 percent as much to produce as another can't be half the price. That's the simplistic version why Stanphyl Capital Management says Tesla Motors will not be able to sell its "mass market" sedan for the low, low (by luxury electric-vehicle standards) Elon Musk-backed price of $35,000. In fact, the California-based automaker will take about a $13,000 bath for each unit it sells of the new vehicle, now referred to as the Model E. Stanphyl Capital Management breaks down the fourth-quarter costs and revenue associated Tesla's Model S, of which it sold about 6,900 units during the last three months of the year. In a nutshell, Tesla generated a whopping $106,000 per vehicle sold, with about two-thirds of the company's gross profit coming from battery and optional upgrades. And while Tesla may be able to get the Model E battery costs down to about $8,100 compared to the $15,600 cost of the Model S battery (the smaller car will use a smaller battery that will provide about a 200-mile single-charge range), all of the other stuff brings the Model E's unit cost up to about $48,000. That compares to the $59,600 average cost of a Model S. Fremont, we have a problem. Reports came out in December saying that the Model E may be unveiled at one of next year's auto shows and sales could start as early as 2016. The argument against the possibility of a $35,000 Model E may sound reasonable on paper, but more than a few people have lost money betting against Elon Musk. You can read more at ValueWalk.

Only Four Tesla Model S Cars Ever Stolen

Tesla owners are some of the most satisfied car owners in America, and now they have one more reason to love their Model S: They basically never get stolen. In the last three years just four of the luxury electric cars have been stolen, MarketWatch reported. Three were reported stolen last year, none in 2012 and only one was stolen in 2011. It's not like they are too rare for thieves to get their hands on. At least 20,000 were sold last year alone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says cars are stolen at an average rate of about 3.56 thefts per 1,000 vehicles produced. The Model S, however, squeaks by with a 0.15 per 1,000 theft rate, making it the least-stolen vehicle in America. The second-lowest theft rate is that of the Hyundai Tucson, with 0.40 thefts per 1,000 vehicles, according to the Highway Data Loss Institute. All that technology makes the Tesla tempting, but ultimately too difficult to steal. The Model S doesn't have any locks to pick, since the car opens and starts only when its corresponding key fob is near. Sure a thief could go to the trouble of hacking the car, but once they had it there isn't much they could do with it. Most cars are stolen and parted out in chop shops, and there simply isn't a market for additional Tesla parts. Related Gallery Tesla Model S Wins Coveted 'Car Of The Year' Awards Green Weird Car News Tesla Safety Electric stolen car