Senate backs EV direct-sales compromise, lowers consumer fee to $25

Senators on the floor described a bipartisan compromise on engrossed substitute Senate Bill 6354 that would let certain electric-vehicle manufacturers sell directly to Washington consumers while adjusting related fees.

Senator Elias, speaking for the concurrence motion, told colleagues the measure will enable manufacturers named on the floor — Rivian and Lucid — to sell directly to consumers in Washington and described a negotiated change that reduces an originally proposed $50 dealer document/processing fee to a $25 titling fee. "It is a lower fee increase than was included in the Senate proposal," Elias said on the floor, adding that the net fiscal effect to state accounts would be comparable but that consumers would face lower up-front costs.

Senator King also urged the body to support the compromise as a balanced solution; Senator Saldanha noted she had previously introduced related legislation and welcomed the outcome for protecting dealers while expanding consumer choice. After brief floor remarks, the Senate concurred in the House amendments and gave final passage; the clerk recorded the vote as 47 yeas and 2 nays.

The bill’s floor discussion emphasized consumer choice and a fee compromise that sponsors characterized as reducing the initial burden on buyers while preserving the underlying fiscal distribution to state accounts. The measure will proceed following enrollment and any additional steps required to make the act effective.