There’s a lot of discussion right now around how vehicles should be sold. This conversation has gone on for many years.
Direct to consumer.
Through dealerships.
Online.
In stores.
Strong opinions. Real arguments. Lines being drawn.
But something different is happening now.
We’re watching direct-to-consumer stop being a theory and start being a strategy.
SCOUT Motors has already moved forward with direct sales where the law allows it, including Colorado, where the state granted Scout a dealer license as courts debate how the law defines “electric vehicle.”
And in Washington, Rivian is backing a voter initiative to expand direct-to-consumer sales beyond the current exception that exists for Tesla.
Not legislation.
Not a policy debate.
A voter decision.
If voters approve it once, it can become a template that can be repeated state by state.
This is The Infinite Game.
And if you have spent time on the association side, the retail side, the public policy and regulatory side, and alongside OEM leadership, you understand what that really means.
Because when you step back from the headlines, three groups all matter here.
Dealers matter.
Dealerships across this country care for customers every day. They provide jobs in local communities. They invest in facilities, people, inventory, and service capacity. They are community pillars and often the strongest advocate an OEM has in the market.
Consumers matter.
They want vehicles that are affordable. They want transparency in how they buy. And when something goes wrong, they want to talk to a real person who can help.
The OEM matters.
They design and build the vehicles. They carry the responsibility of creating great product, innovative technology, and vehicles customers will trust for years.
State franchise laws were not created by accident. They were designed to protect the OEM and the dealer because both are essential to serving the customer long after the sale.
Retail is more than a transaction point.
It is access.
It is inventory.
It is service departments that keep vehicles on the road for years after the sale.
It is a relationship.
A point of contact.
An actual person to talk to who can make a decision.
Consumers are right to want a simpler buying experience. Retail also has a responsibility to continue improving the experience that frustrates customers today.
Choice matters. So does accountability after the sale.
Because if this continues unchecked, the impact won’t just be felt inside dealerships. It will show up in sales tax revenue, local employment, the small businesses that depend on dealership activity, and the community investment and civic support franchise dealers provide every day.
Dealerships support their communities because they choose to.
If this continues, communities may eventually lose a trusted place to turn.
To public leaders and policymakers across this country: you may think this is a policy discussion. It’s not.
You are playing the finite game.
Franchise auto dealers don’t just sell cars.
They create growth.
And this is where leadership can still get ahead of the curve.
I had the opportunity to work closely with Scott Keogh when he led Audi and Volkswagen. I mention Scott because he has shown what partnership leadership looks like — understanding retail, understanding the customer, and understanding how the network supports a brand for the long run.
That’s why I believe SCOUT can still make this right by coming to the table — with ATAE, with dealers, and with OEM leadership — to collaborate on a model that evolves the buying experience without eroding the system that supports the customer for years after the sale.
Nobody here is the enemy.
Like it or not, we’re all part of the Infinite Game.
And sometimes, leadership starts by taking the cape off long enough to have the conversation that needs to happen.
Damon Lester
Taking the Cape Off