Why is leasing usually better than buying for EV tax credits?

I’m in Washington State, and Vantage Auto Group is in NJ. Initially, I thought there was no way a cross-country acquisition would make financial sense, but I figured I had nothing to lose by seeing how their numbers compared to my local PNW market. I worked with Elka the entire way. She was fantastic from day one. When our scope of vehicles was too large, she helped us narrow it down and even suggested we try a Volvo XC60 PHEV—a car that wasn't even on our radar. After test-driving options in Seattle, we narrowed it down to the Mercedes GLC350E vs. the Volvo XC60. I contacted Vantage on a Sunday, and Elka called me within minutes despite being out and about. While she started working on numbers that Monday, I began negotiating with two local sales reps simultaneously. After 24 hours, the local reps hadn't even returned my calls. By then, Elka already had preliminary numbers. We settled on the Volvo XC60 PHEV as it provided the best value. To be diligent, I expanded my search to five other dealers in the PNW for the exact same specs Elka found. The experience was typical dealership frustration: automated responses, AI chatbots that stood me up on calls, and "out the door" quotes that were substantially higher. Even accounting for the $1,700 freight cost to ship the car across the country, the best local deal I could find was still $2,100 higher than Vantage’s quote. We ended up using Elka’s contact at All America Auto Transport for the shipping.It might seem crazy to go through this to save $400 out of pocket, but the value went beyond the price. It saved me a full day of driving to Portland, fuel costs, and hours of "Dealership BS" in a finance office. That alone was worth thousands to me. The paperwork was the easiest I’ve ever experienced. It was done remotely with zero pressure for add-ons. I could read the entire contract at my own pace without distractions. Delivery was just as seamless. Elka sent photos of the loading process and kept me updated constantly. The car actually arrived several days early; it was originally quoted for May 13th and arrived on the 9th! The only downside to shipping was that our first stop was the car wash, but after that, we had a brand-new XC60 in our driveway that exceeded expectations. As a professional buyer for a large company, I take pride in my negotiation skills. I never expected a broker to get a better deal than I could get for myself, but local dealers wouldn't even engage at the levels Elka secured. Thank you, Elka, and thank you, Vantage Auto Group. The ease of this process was worth the wait. You have gained a loyal customer for life.