Todd Janzen
Janzen Schroeder Agricultural Law
OPINION Tesla has sold more than 3 million cars worldwide. There’s no doubt automotive manufacturers are shifting research and development dollars toward making more electric vehicles to capture some of Tesla’s growing market dominance in the space. If you – like me – love cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles, it’s interesting to ponder what changes Tesla’s disruption will have on agriculture. I recently was asked to speculate about how Tesla might impact U.S. agriculture.
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 2==\6=64EC:4 A@H6CEC2:?D –k^DEC@?8m 62C=J :? :ED AC@5F4E\A=2??:?8 52JD %6D=2 232?5@?65 E96 :562 @7 9J3C:5 5C:G6[ H9:49 4@>3:?6D 6=64EC:4 A@H6C 2?5 :?E6C?2= 4@>3FDE:@?] wJ3C:5:K2E:@? 4C62E65 ?665=6DD 4@>A=6I:EJ :? t=@? |FD<’D 6J6D] p==\6=64EC:4 H2D D:>A=6C 2?5 62D:6C E@ 4@?EC@= H:E9 4@>AFE6CD[ D@>6E9:?8 E92E H@F=5 36 ?646DD2CJ :? 2? 2FE@?@>@FD\5C:G:?8 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmp==\6=64EC:4 2=D@ :D 36EE6C E@ 4@>32E 4=:>2E6 492?86[ C65F4:?8 7@DD:=\7F6= 4@?DF>AE:@? E@ 23@FE K6C@ 5FC:?8 E96 =:76 @7 E96 G69:4=6] %92E 2DDF>6D G69:4=6D 2C6 A@H6C65 3J C6?6H23=6\6?6C8J D@FC46D] u@C E92E C62D@? x E9:?< H6’== D66 >@C6 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6D @? E96 72C>] u2C>6CD 7246 :?4C62D:?8 AC6DDFC6 E@ C65F46 E96:C 42C3@? 7@@EAC:?ED – 2?5 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6D 42? 96=A] p=E9@F89 H6’G6 D66? 2 76H 6=64EC:4\G69:4=6 4@?46AED @? E96 72C>[ >2:?DEC62> 6?EC:6D 92G6?’E J6E 2AA62C65]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ms:DCFAE:@? @7 E96 562=6C ?6EH@C< –k^DEC@?8m %6D=2 92D ?6G6C 6>3C2465 2 562=6CD9:A >@56=] %96C6 2C6 ?@ %6D=2 562=6CD9:AD :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6Dj E96C6 2C6 @?=J 4@>A2?J\@H?65 DE@C6D 2?5 D6CG:46 46?E6CD] %92E 92D D=@H65 E96 4@>A2?J’D 23:=:EJ E@ 8C@H :? 46CE2:? >2C<6ED[ 3FE E96 =24< @7 2 562=6C :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2=D@ 92D 8:G6? %6D=2 4@>A=6E6 4@?EC@= 4@?46C?:?8 DFAA=J 2?5 5:DEC:3FE:@?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 4FCC6?E DFAA=J\492:?\5:DCFAE65 64@?@>J H6’C6 D66:?8 C6A@CED @7 2FE@>@E:G6 562=6CD 8@F8:?8 4FDE@>6CD 3J 492C8:?8 AC:46D >@C6 E92? >2?F724EFC6C DF886DE65\C6E2:= AC:46] %6D=2 2G@:5D 2 562=6C E2<:?8 2 4FE 3J 4FEE:?8 @FE E96 562=6C]k^Am
kAm(6’== F?=:<6=J D66 72C>\6BF:A>6?E >2?F724EFC6CD 6=:>:?2E6 E96:C 6?EC6?4965 562=6C ?6EH@C<D] qFE E92E 5@6D?’E >62? E96C6 H:== 36 ?@ %6D=2 67764E 7@C 72C>\6BF:A>6?E 562=6CD] %6D=2 72C>\6BF:A>6?E 4@>A2?:6D 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J 56G6=@A:?8 2 5:C64E\C6=2E:@?D9:A >@56= H:E9 E96:C 4FDE@>6CD 3J 4C62E:?8 4=@F5\32D65 AC@8C2>D] %96 562=6C >2J DE:== D6== 2?5 D6CG:46 E96 92C5H2C6 –EC24E@C[ 4@>3:?6 @C A=2?E6C – 3FE E96 >2?F724EFC6C >2?286D[ FA52E6D 2?5 DFAA@CED E96 D@7EH2C6] s62=6CD >2J ?@E 7246 6IE:?4E:@? 3FE E96:C C@=6 H:== D9:7E E@ >@C6 E649?@=@8J DFAA@CE E92? 6?8:?6 C6A2:C]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 52E2 7@C 2? 2FE@?@>@FD 7FEFC6 –k^DEC@?8m %6D=2 G69:4=6D 2C6 4@??64E65 E@ E96 4@>A2?J’D >@E96CD9:A 4=@F5 2=>@DE 2== E96 E:>6] s2E2 7C@> :ED 42CD 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 765 324< E@ %6D=2[ H9:49 FA52E6D 42C D@7EH2C6 E@ 255 ?6H 762EFC6D 2?5 7:I 3F8D] %96 4@>A2?J FD6D E92E 4@?DE2?E 52E2 7665 E@ :>AC@G6 :ED 2FE@\A:=@E 2?5 D6=7\5C:G:?8 D@7EH2C6] pFE@?@>@FD 5C:G:?8 :D A2CE @7 E96 6IA6C:6?46 %6D=2 :D D6==:?8] ~E96C 2FE@>2<6CD 92G6 25@AE65 E92E D2>6 >@56=[ DF49 2D v6?6C2= |@E@CD’ $FA6C rCF:D6[ u@C5’D q=F6rCF:D6 2?5 2FE@?@>@FD 762EFC6D]k^Am
kAm(6 D66 E96 D2>6 EC6?5 :? 72C> 6BF:A>6?E] r@?DE2?E 4@??64E:G:EJ 2==@HD E96 >249:?6 E@ DE2J 4@??64E65 E@ E96 >2?F724EFC6C’D 4=@F5 2E 2== E:>6D] %92E 96=AD E96 >2?F724EFC6 :>AC@G6 D@7EH2C6 2?5 2?E:4:A2E6 >6492?:42= AC@3=6>D] tBF2==J 2D :>A@CE2?E 3FE ?@E 2D C62=:K65[ 4@?DE2?E 4=@F5 4@??64E:G:EJ 2==@HD 7@C C62=\E:>6 >249:?6 =62C?:?8] p DAC2J6C 364@>6D D>2CE6C 23@FE DAC2J:?8 E2C86E65 H665D 2D :E =62C?D 7C@> 2== DAC2J6CD :? 2== 7:6=5D] %92E’D 2 3:8 492?86 7C@> 72C>:?8 `_ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? 2?J @E96C 4@>A2?J %6D=2 92D 42FD65 2FE@>@E:G6 >2?F724EFC6CD E@ C6E9:?< 9F>2? EC2?DA@CE2E:@?] %96 D2>6 EC6?5D 2C6 @? E96:C H2J :? 28C:4F=EFC6]k^Am
kAm':D:EÂ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]28=2H]FDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm28=2H]FDk^2m 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
Todd Janzen is an attorney and president of Janzen Schroeder Agricultural Law, headquartered in Indianapolis. Visit aglaw.us for more information.Â
The business news you need
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.