Oklahoma Bill Stopping Tesla, Other EV Makers from Selling Cars Passes First Vote

Just a few weeks after Tesla’s call-to-action for Oklahoma residents to oppose HB 3994 to local authorities, the state is nearing passage of the bill, which would ban Tesla and other electric vehicle (EV) automakers from selling in the state.

Oklahoma’s House Chamber voted to pass HB 3994 on Tuesday in a preliminary vote held by the Business and Commerce Committee, as pointed out by @SawyerMerritt.

With the bill’s initial passage, it will move on to the entire House Chamber for a vote, and subsequently to the state’s Senate Chamber.

The move would effectively force Tesla to close its service centers, and cease all sales within the state.

Alongside Tesla, the bill would also stop other EV startups such as Fisker, Polestar, Rivian, Lucid and Canoo from being able to sell or develop a presence in Oklahoma.

BREAKING: The Oklahoma House has passed bill 3994 tonight, with all 11 members voting in favor of it.

The passing of this bill is unfortunately expected to not only force Tesla to close their service centers, but also stop Tesla from being able to sell in the state.

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— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 3, 2022

One local Oklahoma resident told Merritt, “Ugh, it’s so frustrating. Easy to think about myself: sure I have 2 [Teslas] and I’ll never buy from a dealership again.” The resident continued, “But who does this really hurt? Consumers and future adoption in our state.”

Residents of Oklahoma can still contact their local representatives since the bill must still move through the rest of the state’s House and Senate.

You can either do so directly or by using Tesla’s call-to-action page.