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Ford Dealers Will Likely Have To Sell EVs At Fixed Prices Under New Plan

Change has proven to be abundant in the automotive world over the past couple of years, with the chip shortage prompting automakers like Ford to shift strategy by trimming inventory and moving toward a more profitable build-to-order model. This is nothing new for EV automakers like Rivian or Tesla, however, which currently sell vehicles built to order at fixed prices with little to no physical inventory or even dealerships/showrooms to speak of. Now, it seems that Ford dealers may very likely also have to sell electric vehicles at fixed prices soon, according to a new report from Automotive News.

As Ford Authority reported last week, FoMoCo plans to split its business into two distinct entities – Model e, which will focus on EVs, and Ford Blue, which will focus on ICE vehicles, and will ask dealers to specialize in either one of the two or its Ford Pro commercial business. While many long-standing traditions won’t change as part of this split, Ford is reportedly looking at developing a new set of operating standards for Ford dealers that sell EVs which would capitalize on the strength of its dealer network while also borrowing a few ideas from automakers like Rivian and Tesla.

Those standards include things like selling EVs at fixed prices, carrying zero inventory, and operating in scaled-down facilities. Dealers will be allowed to opt-in if they wish to sell the automaker’s EVs alongside ICE-powered vehicles. It’s currently unclear how much such a move would cost dealers or what sort of requirements will be in place, though the automaker’s “next-generation” EV certification costs roughly $35,000. Dealers that currently sell the Ford Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit will be allowed to continue to do so – along with the Ford F-150 Lightning – through the end of 2023, while the new retail model would launch in January of 2024.

Ford has received some bad press in recent months as some dealers have added significant markups to Mach-E and Lightning models, a move that has since drawn the ire of the automaker, even if most dealers are selling those vehicles at MSRP. Meanwhile, Ford is in the midst of a massive shift in the way it does business amid the chip shortage and other supply chain constraints as it trims its dealer inventory to models consisting of limited configurations to improve turns and profitability, while one-third of the automaker’s sales in February came from retail customer orders.

We’ll have more on this as soon as it’s available, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for ongoing Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Comments

  1. Great fill List Price for everyone. Rebates gone, private offers gone. No inventory if you need one right away.

    Reply
    1. Where did the as article say there will be no rebates or incentives? Fixed price just means dealers can’t add a mark up

      Reply
  2. Nice news and glad to see these dealers getting hit by the markups with the upcoming changes. As much as I want to support Fomoco and buy a new Ford EV even with A Plan benefits, the cost of a new EV vehicle is still unafFordable. We’ll just have to wait for better options or the used market to hit to better pricing.

    Reply
  3. No way would I buy a Ford right now. They aren’t just leaving out “Features” that are controlled by chips they can’t get, they are leaving BOLTS our of their SUSPENSION! Ford is selling their high powered Explorer ST with just one bolt locating the rear of the differential instead of two. A significant number of single bolt applications have already failed. Does anyone else want to be a guinea pig?

    Reply
  4. Thank you Ford for fallowing Tesla’s Idea of Fixed prices!

    Reply
  5. I could not find a single dealer selling the Mach-E at MSRP. So I ordered a Tesla Model 3. I’m not rewarding that behavior.

    Reply
    1. So ya went to a Tesla with the markup built in and no tax rebate? I applaud the principal.

      Reply
    2. I ordered a F150 hybrid and dealer told me, as per ford, If you order it they can not sell it to you above MSRP. BUT currently, Once it hits the lot and becomes dealer inventory, they can sell it at what the market will bear.

      My salesman told me when I went to pick up my truck that they were happy to refund my deposit if I was no longer interested in the Truck. I joked, “so you can sell it for $5,000 over MSRP?” he replied” ha, I haven’t had a truck like that on the lot in two months , If it does not leave the lot with you, it will not leave the lot for a penny under $12,000 over MSRP

      Reply
  6. The F&I offices will be where the dealers will make their money. Wait for it!

    Reply
  7. So, the dealer will no longer have the amended Sticker Price that states the ADM. ( Additional Dealer Mark Up). So what is to stop the dealer from increasing the dealer fees, advertising and all the other things they add onto a sale. They could make the Dealer Prep Fee $5K or more..

    Reply

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