The Missouri Court of Appeals overturned a judgment that barred Tesla Motors from operating dealerships in the state. An earlier judgment from the Cole County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association (MADA), Reuther Ford, and Osage Industries Inc. In appealing the decision, the Missouri Department of Revenue and Tesla asserted that the trial court erred in finding that Tesla’s application did not satisfy the requirements for a dealer license. The Missouri Court of Appeals ruling was consistent with every appellate court ruling in the country that has addressed standing in similar Tesla license challenges in other states. It reversed the decision and directed the trial court dismiss plaintiffs’ petition for lack of standing. MADA, Reuther Ford and Osage Industries Plaintiffs challenged Tesla’s license, citing the Missouri Motor Vehicle Franchise Practices (MVFP) Act. The appellate court explained that the MVFP Act is designed to protect franchisees “from the ‘unlawful’ practices of franchisors with respect to franchises in the possession of franchisees” and would not apply to Tesla.
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