Mandated franchised dealership model is outdated. Most consumers are savvy enough to be able to order their vehicles online by now. No glass palaces needed. The only thing dealers are needed for are used car sales and aftermarket support (parts, service, body shop etc.)
One can only wish, though, since the industry has huge lobbyist organization as well as hands is the pockets of numerous lawmakers in all the states where such franchise law requirements exist.
Yeah, the issue is that the jobs at the dealerships are present day. Every advocate for the inefficient dealer model simply points to all the jobs that would be lost if GM could do BTC sales. Plus they assert the service would get worse.
All the sales, service, finance, back-office, operations, reception, etc exist to provide the "best possible service". The sales-network advocates claim that GM's corporate stiffs cannot provide great consumer facing outcomes since the corporates are just a bunch of old heads sitting atop the RenCen.
While some customers are getting completely wrecked by the dealers in this time of limited inventory (did you see that $90k Z06 markup that someone go hit with?), those advocating the existing dealer network simply point to the millions of "satisfied" customers who greatly appreciate having a local independent shop to visit. Each automaker will need to do better to identify a systemic and large-scale failing of the existing system to reform it. And so far they haven't been able to produce much more than incidents of "poor form" on pricing and a somewhat cumbersome ordering process.
But I agree, while the existing automakers are stuck playing a game with an arm tied behind their backs, Tesla is just moving swiftly and giving customers who hate the dealer model a (for the most part) great experience. Tesla also has issues, but nothing systemic or large-scale failing in the states that they do business.