You shouldn’t have to drive to Idaho to buy an electric vehicle in a showroom.
Tell Olympia: It’s time to end the ban on direct-to-consumer sales for electric vehicles.
Washington is the only state on the West Coast that bans consumers from buying electric vehicles (EVs) directly in the showrooms of EV manufacturers.
Updating our state laws to let consumers buy directly in showrooms from EV manufacturers would mean more informed choices for Washingtonians, more EVs on our roads so Washington can meet our goal of reducing climate pollution, more EV jobs, and more investment in Washington.
Direct to Consumer Sales Will Mean…
More EV showrooms and more competition, leading to reduced costs.
Through a special exception, only one EV manufacturer is allowed to sell their vehicles from showrooms and conduct test drives in Washington. This reduces competition, drives up costs for consumers, and means fewer zero-pollution EVs on our roads.
More convenience and choices for Washingtonians.
People should be allowed to take test drives, talk about pricing and financing, and buy EV’s directly from manufacturers’ showrooms right here in Washington — instead of traveling out of state. Ending the ban on these simple activities will make car buying more convenient and less costly, while enabling more informed choices.
More EVs on our roads and more clean transportation progress.
Washington’s own EV task force said that our current laws create an “unnecessary barrier” to more widespread adoption of EVs. That means more climate pollution and less clean transportation.
Research has found that by enabling all manufacturers to sell EVs directly to consumers, EV adoption could increase by as much as 13 percent between 2023 and 2030.
More jobs and investment in Washington from EV companies.
EV companies are less likely to make investments in Washington if they can’t sell from their showrooms or allow customers to take test drives. Given the demand for electric vehicles, jobs and investments are flowing into other states where direct-to-consumer sales are allowed.
Act Now: Tell your legislators in Olympia it’s time to end the ban on direct EV sales - and to give Washingtonians the freedom to buy.
Our legislators in Olympia can act to give Washingtonians the freedom to buy electric vehicles in their own state. Reversing this ban will put more EVs on our roads and bring jobs and investment to our state.
Take action by sending an email to your state legislators using the form below. These messages make a big difference. You can amp up your impact by adjusting the email below before sending to include a personal story about why you support changing the laws to make buying an EV easier in our state.
Meet the Coalition Supporting the Freedom to Buy in Washington
Frequently Asked Questions
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A: Washington’s laws for buying cars were written before the advent of online shopping. In 2014, the auto dealers in Washington struck an agreement with the state to shut the door on new EV manufacturers from selling their vehicles directly to consumers in showrooms, except for one company. So current law prevents all other EV manufacturers, including Rivian, from having a showroom, offering test drives, talking about prices, and discussing financing options (like leasing). That limits consumer choice, hurts consumers, slows EV adoption and progress towards Washington’s clean transportation goals, and picks winners and losers in the marketplace. and creates an uneven playing field among EV manufacturers in the state.
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A: Washington is the only state on the West Coast, and in the Pacific Northwest, that bans direct-to-consumer sales for electric vehicle manufacturers, while preserving a loophole for just one EV company. Half of all states let consumers buy an electric vehicle from any electric vehicle manufacturer’s showroom.
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A: Under a direct-to-consumer sales model, as soon as vehicles are manufactured they are delivered directly to the customer without the additional steps of having the car at a dealership. Buying directly from a manufacturer gives customers the choice to purchase a vehicle from a showroom or from the comfort of their home. Additionally, the direct-to-consumer model allows for transparent pricing, the price listed on the website is the price paid. There is no negotiating with a salesperson who may be motivated by the commission they will receive and not the service they provide. Direct-to-consumer sales helps advance fairness and equity in Washington by ensuring that any consumer—regardless of their zip code, gender, or race—pays the same price for a vehicle.
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A: Manufacturers are less likely to build showrooms and hire salespeople if they are banned from selling vehicles at these locations. Given the demand for electric vehicles, these jobs are being located in neighboring states and elsewhere, but would be located in Washington if the state updated their laws. It is pretty simple, greater access to more consumers and the possibility of more sales leads companies to consider making greater investments in innovation.
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A: Allowing all EV manufacturers to sell directly to consumers—as half of all states do, including Idaho, Oregon, and California—would help put more EVs on Washington State roads and help us meet our clean transportation goals. An independent analysis by Atlas Public Policy found that by enabling all manufacturers to sell EVs directly to consumers, EV adoption may increase by as much as 13 percent.