Ze380y
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:44:55 +0000

Rivian Threatened a Ballot Measure — Car Dealers Folded in 3 Months

the entire car dealership model just got ratio’d by a company that sells trucks with flashlight modes

70% of Washington voters wanted to skip the dealer. Rivian pledged $4.6M for a ballot fight. The dealer lobby didn’t just lose — they endorsed the bill. Senate vote: 47-2.

so Rivian literally said “we’ll let the people decide” and the car dealers were like “actually no please don’t do that” and folded faster than a lawn chair in a hurricane. this is the political equivalent of calling someone’s bluff and watching them cry. the bill passed the House 84-9 and the Senate 47-2. that’s not bipartisan support, that’s “nobody wants to be the guy who voted against consumer choice” energy.

🧩 Dumb Mode Dictionary (click for more details) 📖 Why Can't You Just... Buy a Car From the Company That Made It? (click for more details) ⚡ What Actually Happened in Washington (click for more details) 📊 The Numbers (click for more details) 🔍 The Fine Print Nobody's Talking About (click for more details) 🗣️ Reactions From the Trenches (click for more details) 🔮 The Bigger Play: 6 More States (click for more details)

Cool. Car Dealers Got Bodied. Now What the Hell Do We Do? ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

🚗 Build a State-Level Direct Sales Tracker (click for more details) 💰 Start an EV Buying Concierge Service (click for more details) 📝 Create Content Around the Franchise Law Fight (click for more details) 🔧 Offer Mobile EV Service in Non-Direct-Sales States (click for more details) 📊 Lobby Data Analysis for Advocacy Groups (click for more details) 🛠️ Follow-Up Actions (click for more details)

Quick Hits

Want… | Do…
Buy a Rivian without a dealer | Move to (or buy from) one of ~25 states that allow direct sales — Washington joins the list in ~90 days
Track which states are next | Watch Arkansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota for ballot initiatives
Save money on your next EV | Direct sales cut out the dealer markup — but only if your state allows it
Understand why this matters | 70% of people prefer buying direct. Dealer laws exist to protect dealers, not you
Follow the legal domino effect | VW’s Scout lawsuits + Rivian’s 6-state expansion = the franchise model is on borrowed time

70% of buyers wanted to skip the middleman. the middleman said “you can’t.” Rivian said “bet.” and now here we are.

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