Ford slims down dealership EV requirements after pushback
How many Ford dealerships in the U.S. are now eligible to sell and service EVs under the new program changes?
Under the new program changes, all 2,800 Ford dealerships in the U.S. are now eligible to sell and service EVs. Ford has decided to expand EV sales and service to all its dealerships, dismantling the previous Model e certification program that required investments up to $1.2 million for dealers to become EV-certified.
What specific changes has Ford made to its Model E dealership certification program?
Ford has made significant changes to its Model E dealership certification program. Initially, the program required dealerships to invest up to $1.2 million for certification, including mandatory on-site EV chargers, upgrades, and advanced staff training. However, Ford is now revising this strategy and expanding EV sales and service to all 2,800 of its US dealers, dismantling the previous EV certification requirements.
Previously, the Model E dealership program had two tiers: the premium "Elite" tier and a standard one. The standard tier required investments of up to $500,000 and was initially only good for about 25 EV allocations per year, while Elites would get far more. Ford originally wanted dealerships to install multiple chargers, with some available for public use, but pushback made the automaker revise those requirements in November.
With these changes, all Ford dealers will now have access to EV inventory, and the previous investment requirements and charger installations are no longer mandatory. However, customers may endure more difficult delivery processes at dealerships that are not as supportive of selling EVs.
What were the initial investment requirements for dealerships under the old Model E certification program?
The initial investment requirements for dealerships under the old Model E certification program involved two tiers: Model e Certified and Model e Certified Elite. For the Model e Certified tier, dealers were required to invest approximately $500,000. This investment covered the installation of fast EV chargers, including at least one Level 3 charger available to the public during business hours. On the other hand, the Model e Certified Elite tier required dealers to invest an estimated $1 million to $1.2 million. This higher investment included the installation of three Level 3 EV chargers and six Level 2 EV chargers. Both tiers also required dealers to use the Ford.com e-commerce platform for all EV transactions, engage in transparent non-negotiable pricing, and provide employee training, among other requirements.