Car dealers having satellite locations at malls goes back over thirty years. The mall I grew up near, then the country’s largest, was right next to the local car sealers. The mall had some empty space, approached the dealers, and soon there were two small showrooms in the mall. Complete with finance departments and sales manager types. You could complete the deal there, though I suspect most people were taken for a ride (to the main dealership) to see more choices.
And I absolutely believe Tesla should be able to sell cars any honest way they like. These laws do notthing to protect the buyer. They do nothing to ensure that dealer service will continue to be available nearby. Manufacturers have been terminating smaller franchises at a furious rate for years. Every town of any size had dealerships, now you find them in small cities, and sometimes not events there. Franchise requirements are doing nothing to protect buyers.
Tesla should be ablr to set up service centers or contract with independent garages. Either one can do the job if they have access to the training, parts, and tools. Indeed, I’d prefer dealing with a Tesla-certified garage. Those guys will know Tesla can drop them if they don’t do a good job. Big dealers might get threats, but they know how many cars they sell and how painful it would be to replace them.