News & Resources
Why EV Messaging Fails & How to Fix It: Mike Murphy of EV Politics Project on EV Facts & Adoption
Grid Connections | February 25, 2025
“In this episode of Grid Connections, we sit down with Mike Murphy, CEO of the EV Politics Project, to explore the growing political divide in EV adoption and how automakers can reframe their messaging for wider appeal. With a background in Republican politics and deep ties to the auto industry, Mike shares exclusive insights from EV polling data, revealing why traditional climate-focused marketing is failing to resonate with mainstream and conservative buyers…”
Tesla retains advantage in Washington state as effort stalls to expand direct EV sales
GeekWire | February 25, 2025
“The third time was not the charm for a coalition that was pushing to level the playing field for electric vehicle sales in Washington state. A bipartisan effort aiming to give Rivian, Lucid and other EV makers the right to sell their vehicles directly to consumers has stalled in Olympia. In 2014 — when there were far fewer EV companies — state lawmakers gave Tesla an exemption that allowed it to sell its own cars, while all other current and future carmakers were required to use franchise dealerships. Tesla has been able to hold on to that sales advantage, selling directly out of its showrooms — which have been the target of protestors this month in Seattle rallying against Tesla CEO and Trump administration leader Elon Musk…”
Tesla to maintain exclusive hold on direct EV sales to WA consumers
Washington State Standard | February 24, 2025
“Tesla will remain the only electric vehicle manufacturer allowed to sell directly to customers in Washington. That’s because legislation that would have put firms like Rivian and Lucid on equal footing with the electric carmaker failed to advance out of a House committee on Friday, the deadline for non-fiscal bills to be voted out of policy committees.…The bill, sponsored by Democratic and Republican state lawmakers, would have revised a state law that prevents customers from buying an electric vehicle directly from the automaker and instead forces them to go through a dealership…”
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales
Everett Herald | February 15, 2025
“If you’re in the market for an electric vehicle, your shopping experience — rather than your mileage — may vary, depending on the make of car or truck you’re most interested in. If, say, you’re curious about the vehicles that U.S. EV-only manufacturers, such as Lucid and Rivian offer, you’re invited to their University Village “spaces” in Seattle to kick the tires, climb into a seat, inhale that “new EV smell” and hang-out in the parking lot, but that’s about it. No test drive of Rivian’s trucks or SUVs, no discussing with a sales associate of the colors and options of Lucid’s Air and Gravity sedans and SUVs…”
Lawmakers could change how Teslas, Rivians are sold in WA
Seattle Times | February 12, 2025
“A set of bills introduced by Washington lawmakers could shake up how electric vehicles like Teslas and Rivians are sold in Washington, touching on a fierce debate that has long divided EV advocates and auto dealerships. One bill would take away a special provision that has allowed Tesla to offer test drives and sell directly to consumers at physical stores. Another bill would expand the number of EV-only manufacturers, beyond Tesla, that can sell cars directly to consumers…”
Washington Clean Car Choice Coalition Members, Advocates Rally at Washington State Capitol, Call on Legislators to End State’s Ban on Buying Zero-Emission Vehicles Directly
Press Release | February 11, 2025
“Members of the Washington Clean Car Choice Coalition and zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) advocates rallied at the Washington State Capitol on Thursday, February 6, and called on legislators to pass the bipartisan plan to end the ban on buying ZEVs directly from any ZEV-only manufacturer that does not use the traditional franchise dealer network. The Washington Clean Car Choice Coalition has also released new statewide public opinion research showing that 84 percent of Washingtonians support allowing all vehicle manufacturers without traditional dealerships to sell directly to customers in their own showrooms…”
Let EV startups join Tesla in selling cars directly to WA buyers
Seattle Times | February 5, 2025
“Shopping for an electric vehicle in Washington shouldn’t be difficult. Yet several EV startups can’t open retail outlets here because existing franchise laws prohibit manufacturers from selling directly to consumers. It’s time for that to change. Giving residents additional local choice and an ability to try out EVs close to home will increase their adoption, advancing the state’s ambitious efforts to fight climate change…”
Tesla could lose its big EV sales advantage in Washington state if lawmakers pass new rules
GeekWire | February 4, 2025
“Tesla could soon lose its electric vehicle sales advantage as Washington state lawmakers are taking their third shot at legislation that would give Rivian, Lucid and others the right to offer test drives and sell their vehicles directly to consumers. Tesla is the sole manufacturer in Washington with that marketing deal — all other carmakers must sell through franchise dealerships…”
Tesla is the only EV maker that can sell directly to consumers in WA. Lawmakers might change that.
Washington State Standard | February 4, 2025
“Washington wants more electric vehicles on the road. It’s offered generous incentives for EV buyers and set deadlines barring new gasoline-powered car sales. The next step, some say, is revising a law that does not allow customers to buy an electric vehicle directly from the automaker, instead forcing them to go through a dealership. There’s one notable exception: Tesla. The electric carmaker, founded and led by billionaire Elon Musk, can make direct sales in Washington due to an exemption obtained a decade ago. At that time, it was the lone electric vehicle manufacturer seeking access to the market…”
Washington Clean Car Choice Coalition launches, applauds bipartisan legislation to give consumers the choice to buy directly from any zero-emission vehicle-only manufacturer
Press Release | January 30, 2025
“A new statewide, cross-sector coalition — the Washington Clean Car Choice Coalition — launched today to advocate for legislators in Olympia to give Washington consumers the choice to purchase a vehicle directly from any zero-emission vehicle-only manufacturer that does not use the traditional franchise dealer network. Coalition members and advocates around the state are urging legislators to support House Bill (HB) 1721 and Senate Bill (SB) 5592, bipartisan proposals that would allow Washington consumers to buy cars directly from any zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) only-manufacturer with at least two service centers and a mobile service for customers…”
Why does Tesla have dealerships in WA, but other EV startups do not?
Seattle Times | July 4, 2024
“The showrooms for Tesla and Rivian, two electric vehicle manufacturers, are just a few steps from each other at University Village, and look a lot alike. The bright lighting, the shiny cars, the pitches for a vehicle of the future. But in Washington state, the consumer experience at the two stores is very different. At Tesla, you can find the typical dealership routine: a salesperson, a 30-minute test drive, ample opportunities to ask questions. At Rivian, that’s not the case. Employees there are prohibited by law from taking customers on a test drive or discussing anything about how much the car costs…”
Car dealers and Big Oil are suing the Biden administration over efforts to boost EV sales
Quartz | June 13, 2024
“Some powerful groups are suing the government to slow the adoption of electric vehicles. The American Petroleum Institute, along with the National Corn Growers Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and six auto dealers “collectively operating dozens of dealerships in major markets across the country,” announced Thursday that they filed a federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency. The groups aim to stop a Biden administration emissions standard that mandates about 56% of new U.S. vehicle sales be electric by 2032…”
Rivian, Lucid and other EVs stuck in park by failed effort to change car sales laws in Washington
GeekWire | February 27, 2024
“If you own one of the 3,853 Rivians registered in Washington, odds are you didn’t test drive the electric vehicle in the state. That’s because the law bars Rivian from selling directly to consumers, and the company isn’t working with franchised dealerships. And, at least in the near future, that situation is unlikely to change. The latest effort to revise the law has again stalled in the state’s capital, sunk by opposition from auto dealerships…”
Gov. Inslee visits Renton Technical College with EVs on agenda
Renton Reporter | December 4, 2023
“Starting Dec. 18, Renton Technical College (RTC) will kick off its latest specialized program after partnering with electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian — but first, the program was previewed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his staff. An avid supporter of electric vehicles, Inslee signed into law a bill that set 2035 as the date that all new cars registered in Washington state must be electric. ‘It’s vital as Washington transitions to electric vehicles that we have trained technicians,’ said Rivian policy advisor Hannah Steinweg…”
Discussion renewed over direct electric vehicle sales in Washington
King5| November 29, 2023
“A draft proposal shows Washington state’s Transportation Electrification Strategy could potentially recommend policy to ‘allow direct sales from electric vehicle automakers to consumers.’ Some environmentalist groups and electric vehicle (EV) advocates have been pushing for the change for years. Meanwhile, auto dealerships have spoken up against it, worried the move would impact their businesses.…”