Rivian is dipping its toe into State-level politics and is throwing its support and money behind a citizen-driven initiative to open up direct EV sales in Washington State.
The initiative seeks to reverse a state law that prevents consumers from purchasing EVs directly from manufacturers. Tesla is the only brand with an exemption, leaving Rivian, Lucid and all other EV brands on the outside looking in.
Per the Washington Coalition for Consumer Choice and Innovation, the group behind the campaign, the plan is to push for the initiative to qualify for the November 26 ballot.
To get there, the campaign must gather at least 308,911 valid voter signatures and submit the necessary paperwork to the Secretary of State. However, state officials suggest reaching at least 390,000 in case there are rejections.
Rivian, for its part, supports the measure and has pledged $4.6 million to help promote the initiative across Washington State, according to the Washington State Standard.
This is not the first attempt to amend this specific piece of legislation; there were attempts in 2024 and 2025. The latest attempt, a bill that would have allowed EV brands to sell directly to consumers, stalled in the state House and died in a legislative committee.
For its part, neither Tesla nor the Washington State Auto Dealers Association has publicly commented on the proposed initiative.
