Vermont dealers warn Advanced Clean Car/Truck rules risk shrinking local inventory, shifting sales out of state

Matt Coda, a Meadow Hill consultant representing the Vermont Vehicle and Automotive Distributors Association, told a legislative transportation committee Thursday that Vermont dealers support electric vehicles but are concerned the Advanced Clean Car and Advanced Clean Truck rules will squeeze local dealerships.

"We are all in on EVs. We have invested millions of dollars on EV infrastructure," Coda said. "They are not coming to our dealerships in the speed of which the regulation requires, and they are not being demanded by the consumers in the speed of which the regulation requires."

Coda told committee members the complaint has multiple parts: a high share of leases for new EVs, consumer demand concentrated in certain models, and manufacturer compliance options that could reduce the supply of gasoline vehicles in smaller markets. He said about 40,000–43,000 new vehicles are registered in Vermont annually and that a large share of sales are trucks and sport-utility vehicles rather than small cars. He added that roughly 63% of vehicles sold and later registered in Vermont have been used…