Tesla Motors Inc. is the most recent automaker to bow out of next month’s 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A Tesla spokesperson confirmed the move on Friday.
According to The Detroit News, the California-based electric car manufacturer joins Jaguar, Land Rover and BMW’s Mini as brands opting to drive past the 2016 show after having a presence on the main show of Cobo Center in 2015.
“After much consideration, we have decided against participating at the North American International Auto Show. We’ve always had a very good experience at Detroit,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
“In Michigan, we have great owners, a strong supercharger network that connects the U.S. with Canada, and are continuing to hire talented employees. But as a small player, Tesla relies on auto shows to not only showcase our products, but engage with consumers and ultimately sell more cars in the region.”
“We are working to change laws so that we are licensed to open stores and service vehicles. Until that happens NAIAS is not an optimal venue for driving our mission to put more EVs on the road.”
The 2016 Detroit auto show is open to the public from January 16-26. Thousands of news media from more than 60 countries and industry officials attend the show prior to its opening to the masses.