Auto & RV Industry

Looking to buy or sell your boat? Act quick to avoid new state tax

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

If you’re thinking about buying a boat to spend the coming summer on the Columbia River, you have until July 1 to avoid a new state sales tax.

Auto parts retailer to pay $5.6M for denying employee pregnancy, nursing accommodations

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

A national auto parts retailer that a year ago had to pay more than $160,000 in illegally eliminated sick time to its Washington state employees must now pay millions for discriminating against employees.

McCurley kicks off annual food drive

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:00:00 -0400

McCurley Dealerships is launching its 23rd annual Hometown Food Drive, set to run through the month of October. In its 23 years, the program has provided 1.7 million pounds of food.

Time is running out to claim federal energy tax credits

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Thinking about making some energy efficiency improvements for your home or considering buying a new or used electric car? You may need to act fast to take advantage of a slew of energy tax credits that are expiring.

Kennewick landlord among first fined under WA’s new rent cap law

jgoldsteinstreet@washingtonstatestandard.com — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:00:00 -0400

In addition to rescinding their rent increases, landlords were given 30 days to pay the attorney general’s office $2,000 for its costs related to investigating their cases.

With instant rebates, Washington looks to rev up sales of EVs

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Customers can get a rebate of up to $9,000 for leasing or purchasing a new or used electric vehicle. High cost is one reason given for consumers to pass on buying an EV.

Q&A with Mason McCurley

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Q&A with Mason McCurley, president of McCurley. Dealerships

Vehicle graphics, wraps a growing business in Tri-Cities

sara@tcjournal.biz — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Several Tri-Cities companies offer vehicle graphics and wraps – a growing part of the auto industry.

Consumer trends drive shift in vehicle buying

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 12:00:00 -0400

The pandemic upended vehicles sales, sending used car prices skyrocketing due to a shortage of new car inventory.

Tri-City car dealers affected by hack

sara@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0400

A pair of cyberattacks in mid-June plunged car dealerships across North America into chaos – and some dealerships in the Tri-Cities were among those affected.

RV dealers see signs of optimism as they head into peak sales season

sara@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 16 May 2024 12:00:00 -0400

There are signs of optimism for 2024 RV selling season.

Auto repair shop passes from one family to another

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Decades after opening, Richland AutoCare Center is under new ownership and will eventually become a 360 Automotive & Repair location.

The Auto Lot

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0400

The Auto Lot has completed a new building at 3809 Plaza Way in the Southridge area of Kennewick.

Hats off to Tri-Cities nonprofit working to expand EV rideshare program

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0500

By summer’s end a Tri-Cities nonprofit expects to have a fleet of 10 electric vehicles and possibly an accessible electric van available for use as part of a community car share program.

EV battery recycling will require Herculean effort

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries constituting 180,000 tons of hazardous material. The situation is likely to get worse as the world shifts to lithium batteries to power a massive influx of electric vehicles (EV). It needs immediate attention.

Auto dealership to get new $5M home, new name

sara@tcjournal.biz — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:55:49 -0400

Sergio Alvarez was selling real estate in Portland in 2008 when the economy crashed.

“The phone stopped ringing one day,” he said, and he knew he needed to find another line of work.

He’d always wanted to go into business for himself, so he moved to the Tri-Cities – not...

Pasco School District leads charge to support electric bus fleet

sara@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 11 May 2023 19:36:29 -0400

A Tri-Cities area school district is planning to add three electric buses to its fleet next school year.

And the Pasco School District isn’t stopping there. As grant money becomes available, the district may add even more electric buses in the future – a step officials say would mean...

McCurley Dealerships plans $31 million expansion

sara@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:07:57 -0400

McCurley Dealerships aims to be the best auto group in the market it serves, and it’s planning a significant facility expansion across multiple properties to support that vision.
The roughly $31 million expansion includes adding about 50,000 square feet at the Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership in the Pasco Autoplex, plus expanding the McCurley Subaru dealership off Sandifur Parkway in Pasco and building a new home for the Yakima dealership.

Tri-Cities’ last stop for collectible car parts is for sale

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 12:44:38 -0400

After over 40 years of collecting an extensive repository of automobile history from around the Northwest and more than 4,000 vehicles passing through his yard, Stafford said it’s time to pass the labor of love on to someone new.

He’s ready to sell the business.

Overturf plans to expand dealership to Pasco

sara@tcjournal.biz — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 12:07:52 -0500

The family-run Overturf Motors in Kennewick is set to expand into Pasco in the next couple of years.Doug Overturf, general manager and president of the dealership on West Columbia Drive, said he hopes the new facility south of Interstate 182 and north of Saint Thomas Drive in Pasco will open...

Energy Northwest begins construction on Highway 12
EV charging network

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 20:20:37 -0500

Construction is underway on a network of electric vehicle charging stations along the White Pass Scenic Byway on Highway 12.The network will include eight new EV charging stations from Chehalis to White Pass Ski Area, each equipped with at least one Level 3 fast charger and one Level 2 charger.All...

Speck Hyundai of Tri-Cities

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 14:17:06 -0500

Speck Hyundai of Tri-Cities completed construction of its new Kennewick dealership facility on Dec. 1, 2022.The project was built on behalf of JP and Katy Moore.The $6 million project features a showroom and service department, charging for electric vehicles and can accommodate the incoming Hyundai Ioniq franchise, established to sell...

Recycling lithium batteries must accelerate to keep up with EV demand

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:50:13 -0500

Demand for electric vehicles (EV) is soaring, accelerated by climate change concerns.EVs reduce tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and buses which are responsible for 30% of our greenhouse gas pollutants.The switch to EVs is worldwide and growing. The Simply Insurance website projects by 2040, 58% of global vehicle sales will...

Couple’s love of cars drives their detailing service

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 12:39:16 -0500

White Glove Detailing is a Kennewick business focused on cars, trucks, boats and RVs and is run by a couple of proud car fanatics.Dawn Caldwell-Carter and Rickie Carter are so passionate about keeping cars in mint condition, Dawn’s brand new Ford Mustang GT is being given at least two weeks’...

Traffic Jams offers ways to keep audio, video out of sight, out of mind

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 19:21:14 -0400

“Anything you can think of that’s fun in a house, that’s what we do.”That’s how Bryan Brooks describes the services offered by his family’s business, Traffic Jams.The Kennewick-based shop is locally owned and offers more than car audio, including security systems, cameras, central vacuums, network connections and home theater or...

National used car chain expanding to the Tri-Cities

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 13:27:28 -0400

CarMax Inc., the national chain of used car stores, confirmed it intends to open its first Tri-City location within two to three years.CarMax, based in Richmond, Virginia, operates five stores in Washington, all located in Spokane and Western Washington. Richland will be the first in the area.“We are pleased to...

McCurley buys Yakima Subaru dealership

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:07:39 -0500

By Michael Samson Yakima Valley Business TimesMcCurley Integrity Dealerships of the Tri-Cities recently bought the Stewart Subaru dealership in Yakima.Now known as McCurley Subaru of Yakima, the business at 506 Fruitvale Blvd. is the company’s sixth dealership in the state.“One of the reasons why we wanted to come over here...

Speck building electric-friendly new home for Buick, GMC dealership

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 18:32:18 -0500

Katy and J.P. Moore are building a new home for their newly acquired Tri-Cities Buick and GMC dealership, which has outgrown its Kennewick quarters.“We’re bursting at the seams,” said Katie Forney, operations manager for Speck Dealerships, the family of car and truck dealers owned by the Moores.Speck GMC and Buick...

Kennewick inventor’s new prototype electrifies judges at auto show

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 14:15:20 -0500

Kennewick entrepreneur Reid Lunde named his company Kaizen Speed after the Japanese business term for continuous improvement. Since 2005, Kaizen Speed has been steadily growing, and in November won a prestigious industry award for Lunde’s new prototype.

Better batteries likely to drive electric car market

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 13:52:51 -0500

By Andrew KirkWith a nuclear reservation, national laboratory and cutting-edge agricultural processing in the Tri-Cities’ backyard, Jeff Leskovar expected Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Outlander would be well received.“We thought they’d bepopular with Hanford scientists, a high-tech product like this,” he said. “Butwe sell a lot of them to Spokane.”Almost...