As used in this chapter:
(1) “Commission” means the Public Service Commission.
(2) “Dealership facilities” means the real estate, buildings, fixtures and improvements which have been devoted to the conduct of business under the franchise by the new motor vehicle dealer.
(3) “Designated family member” means the spouse, child, grandchild, parent, brother or sister, of the owner of a new motor vehicle dealership who, in the case of the owner’s death, is entitled to inherit the ownership interest in the new motor vehicle dealership under the terms of the owner’s will, or who has been nominated in any other written instrument, or who, in the case of an incapacitated owner of a new motor vehicle dealership, has been appointed by a court as the legal representative of the new motor vehicle dealership’s property.
(4) “Electric motor vehicle” includes all of the following:
a. A plug-in hybrid vehicle, which operates with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that can be plugged into an external electric power source to charge the internal battery.
b. An all-electric vehicle, which operates solely from an internal electric battery.
(5) “Established place of business” means a permanent, commercial building located within this State easily accessible and open to the public at all reasonable times and at which the business of a new motor vehicle dealer, including the display and repair of vehicles, may be lawfully carried on in accordance with the terms of all applicable building codes, zoning and other land-use regulatory ordinances.
(6) “Franchise” means the written agreement or contract between any new motor vehicle manufacturer and any new motor vehicle dealer which purports to fix the legal rights and liabilities of the parties to such agreement or contract, and pursuant to which the dealer purchases and resells the franchise product or leases or rents the dealership premises.
(7) “Good faith” means honesty in fact and the observation of reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing in the trade as defined and interpreted in § 1-201(b)(20) of this title.
(8) “Manufacturer” means any person, resident or nonresident, who manufactures or assembles new motor vehicles, or imports for distribution through distributors of motor vehicles, including any person, partnership or corporation which acts for and is under the control of such manufacturer or assembler in connection with the distribution of said motor vehicles. “Manufacturer” includes the following terms:
a. “Distributor” which means any person, resident or nonresident, who in whole or in part offers for sale, sells or distributes any new motor vehicle to new motor vehicle dealers or who maintains factory representatives or who controls any person, firm, association, corporation or trust, resident or nonresident, who in whole or in part offers for sale, sells or distributes any new motor vehicle to new motor vehicle dealers.
b. “Factory branch” which means a branch office maintained by a manufacturer for the purpose of selling, or offering for sale, vehicles to a distributor or new motor vehicle dealer, or for directing or supervising in whole or in part factory or distributor representatives.
c. “Franchiser” which means 1 or more of the following:
1. Any person, resident or nonresident, who directly or indirectly licenses or otherwise authorizes 1 or more new motor vehicle dealers to use a trademark or service mark associated with a make of motor vehicle in connection with the retail sale of new motor vehicles bearing such trademark or service mark.
2. Any person who in the ordinary course of business and on a recurring basis sells such new motor vehicles to a new motor vehicle dealer for resale.
(9) a. “Motor vehicle” means every self-propelled vehicle, regardless of the size or type of motor or source of power, that is intended primarily for use and operation on the public highways, not including motor homes, motor home products and recreational vehicles, farm tractors and other machines and tools used in the production, harvesting and care of farm products.
b. “New motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle with a franchising manufacturer’s certificate of origin that has not been titled or registered by any state or country in the name of an end user via sale or lease and that has never been the subject of a completed, successful, or conditional sale that was subsequently approved other than between new motor vehicle dealers, or between a manufacturer and a new motor vehicle dealer of the same franchise.
(10) “New motor vehicle dealer” or “dealer” means any person or entity engaged in the business of selling, offering to sell, soliciting or advertising the sale of new motor vehicles and who holds, or held at the time a cause of action under this chapter accrued, a valid sales and service agreement, franchise or contract granted by the manufacturer or distributor for the retail sale of said manufacturer’s or distributor’s new motor vehicles.”New motor vehicle dealer” or “dealer” includes any person who engages exclusively in the repair of motor vehicles, except motor homes, if such repairs are performed pursuant to the terms of a franchise or other agreement with a franchiser or such repairs are performed as part of a manufacturer’s or franchiser’s warranty.” New motor vehicle dealer” or “dealer” does not mean any person engaged solely in the business of selling used motor vehicles.
(11) “Person” means every natural person, partnership, corporation, association, trust, estate, or any other legal entity.
(12) “Relevant market area” means the area within a radius of 10 miles from the intended site of a proposed additional dealership.
(13) “Sell,” “selling,” “sold,” “exchange,” “retail sales,” and “leases” include:
a. Accepting a deposit or receiving a payment for the retail purchase, lease, or other use of a motor vehicle, but does not include facilitating a motor vehicle dealer’s acceptance of a deposit or receipt of a payment from a consumer or receiving payment under a retail installment sale contract.
b. Accepting a reservation from a retail consumer for the retail purchase, lease, or other use of a specific motor vehicle identified by a vehicle identification number or other product identifier.
c. Setting the retail price for the purchase, lease, or other use of a motor vehicle, but does not include setting a manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
d. Offering or negotiating with a retail consumer terms for the purchase, lease, or other use of a motor vehicle.
e. Offering or negotiating with a retail consumer a value for a motor vehicle being traded in as part of the purchase, lease, or other use of a motor vehicle, but does not include a website or other means of electronic communication that identifies to a consumer a conditional trade-in value and that contains language informing the consumer that the trade-in value is not binding on any motor vehicle dealer.
f. Any transaction where the title of a motor vehicle or a used motor vehicle is transferred to a retail consumer.
g. Any retail lease transaction where a retail consumer leases a vehicle for a period of at least 12 months, but does not include administering lease agreements, taking assignments of leases, performing required actions pursuant to such lease, or receiving payments under a lease agreement that was originated by a motor vehicle dealer.