BJ Birtwell has dedicated his career to getting people into electric cars. But he wants California to stop requiring automakers to sell them.
It’s a controversial position to take as a prominent EV supporter, especially as Republicans in Washington try to end a California rule that would mandate all-EV sales within a decade.
Last week, the House voted to overturn a waiver granted by the EPA that allows California to set an end to the sale of new internal combustion engine cars by 2035. The bill next goes to the Senate, where leaders would have to abandon a long-standing bipartisan practice in order to follow the House’s lead and kill the waiver.
Birtwell, 50, is the founder and chief executive of Electrify Expo, a electric-vehicle showcase that travels from city to city. He has had a long career in marketing, including a stint as head of youth marketing for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which sold U.S. brands like Ram, Dodge and Jeep.
