EV policy update for the week of Jan. 26, 2026

[Grace Reamer]

EV POLICY UPDATE 1-26-26

Hello electric vehicle advocates! Not much is happening with EV-related bills in Olympia this week. The two bills that had hearings last week - Senate Bills 5746 and 5750 - have not yet scheduled any follow-up deliberation or a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Over in the House of Representatives, a new bill has been introduced to allow direct sales of electric vehicles. This narrower version of the years-long attempt to allow direct vehicle sales may be more palatable to the auto dealers association, which has long opposed direct sales outside of the franchise dealership model. No hearing has yet been scheduled on this new direct sales bill, and it may be difficult to get a hearing because the legislation has been referred to the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee. Committee Chair Rep. Amy Whalen, who sets the meeting agendas, is the co-owner and manager of an auto dealership in Seattle, and she has not supported previous efforts to remove the ban on direct sales. Now is a good time to let your lawmakers know your thoughts about direct sales by EV-only manufacturers such as Rivian and Lucid (Tesla sales already are allowed). Here are details about the new bill:

House Bill 2518 - Allowing direct sales by manufacturers who produce only electric vehicles. Sponsor: Rep. Doglio. This bill expands the Tesla exemption from the ban on direct vehicle sales to exempt all manufacturers that produce only electric vehicles. Read the text here. Recommendation: SUPPORT. Send a comment to your lawmakers here.

HOW TO TESTIFY:

If you haven't registered your comments yet, it takes just a minute to sign in with your support or opposition. The online Committee Sign In portal allows you to register your support or opposition to a bill, submit a comment for a public hearing, or sign up to testify online on a Senate or House bill.

You also can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives directly - find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.

I plan to send out weekly updates during the legislative session, highlighting opportunities to share your thoughts and concerns. Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

Grace

gvre...@gmail.com