OLYMPIA, WA – Washington state lawmakers have tried and failed to erase Tesla’s status as the only electric vehicle maker allowed to sell directly to consumers in the state.
Now, one of Tesla’s chief competitors is prepping to take the case to voters.
Electric truck manufacturer Rivian has pledged $4.6 million to get on equal footing with Elon Musk’s EV giant.
A committee calling itself the Washington Coalition for Consumer Choice and Innovation is pushing a ballot measure to open that opportunity to more electric vehicle makers.
State law blocks car buyers from purchasing electric vehicles directly from the manufacturer, so they’re forced to instead buy through dealerships. Tesla has been the sole exception to that law for over a decade. So while Rivian and luxury EV brand Lucid have showrooms in Washington, they can’t sell vehicles through them.
In a statement, the coalition said it “believes that all Washington drivers should have the option to test drive and purchase the vehicle of their choice.”
“We are currently pursuing a November 2026 ballot measure to make these choices available to Washington consumers,” the statement continues. “We believe the majority of voters will agree with us that Washington’s outdated car sales laws should be updated.”
What organizations and businesses make up the coalition is unclear.
The group has brought on California-based Winner & Mandabach Campaigns, a leading consultancy focused on ballot initiatives. The firm has worked on a number of Washington state measures, including the successful opposition to Initiative 1631 levying a carbon fee on emissions. Its website boasts of a 90% win rate for its ballot measure campaigns.
To qualify for the ballot, initiative campaigns must turn in at least 308,911 voter signatures by early July to the secretary of state’s office. The office recommends submitting at least 390,000 signatures to allow for invalid ones. The coalition’s proposal didn’t appear to have been filed with the secretary of state late Thursday.
Last year, legislation to allow companies like Rivian and Lucid to sell directly to consumers stalled in the state House. A coalition of environmental and business groups argued at the time that opening up the market would speed up sales of electric vehicles and help the state meet its goal of reducing carbon emissions in the transportation sector.
Car dealers fearful of losing business have strongly opposed these efforts. The 2025 legislation died in a legislative committee chaired by a Democratic lawmaker who owns car dealers, Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland. But Walen said that didn’t play a role in the bill’s demise, saying it just lacked support.
Walen faced a complaint to the Legislative Ethics Board alleging a conflict of interest, but the board found no basis for it, noting a similar bill passed the committee in 2024 while Walen was chair.
The Washington State Auto Dealers Association declined to comment on the proposed ballot initiative.
In November, voters will also get to weigh in on an initiative seeking to bar transgender athletes from girls’ sports. The secretary of state’s office on Thursday confirmed that the measure, sponsored by the conservative organization Let’s Go Washington, received enough signatures. The agency is still verifying that another Let’s Go Washington ballot measure, dealing with parental rights for families with kids in public schools, qualifies for the ballot.
This story first appeared on Washington State Standard.
