Ford recently revealed the details regarding what its dealers must do if they want to become EV certified, including the fact that it will offer two tiers – Model e Certified and Model e Elite. Aside from featuring 100 percent digital sales at fixed prices, the two levels feature different investment requirements ranging from $500,000 to $1.2 million. Certified dealers will only be able to sell a small batch of EVs per year, however, while those that choose to forgo the certification will get another shot at it in a few years. Meanwhile, Lincoln dealers will get their own set of standards as the luxury brand prepares to roll out four new EVs by 2026, including a required investment of up to $900,000, as Ford Authority reported last week. However, Ford dealers with Lincoln stores will face an even bigger bill, according to Automotive News.
Ford dealers that also operate Lincoln stores – even those that are located under the same roof – must make separate investments in each, as FoMoCo will require those dealers to have separate chargers for each brand. This means that these Ford dealers are looking at a total investment of somewhere between $1-$2 million, depending on which level of Model e certification they choose. The bulk of that investment will go toward the installation of fast chargers, along with sales and service upgrades.
While Ford is letting its dealers choose from two different certification levels, Lincoln dealers will have just one to choose from, though it will split its 650-store network into two entities based on the size of their market. Dealers located in the top 130 markets – which account for 90 percent of its sales – will be the ones required to invest $900,000 in the conversion to install two DC fast chargers and seven Level 2 chargers. The remaining smaller market stores will be required to invest $500,000 for one DC charger and four Level 2 units. However, both will be able to sell an unlimited number of EVs, unlike lower-tier Ford dealers.
As is the case with Ford dealers, this certification is optional, and those that choose to stick with ICE will be able to do so. Dealers have until December 15th to make that decision, while the program itself will start in 2024 – just like Ford’s – and run through 2026, at which time another enrollment period will open with a start date of 2027.
We’ll have more on Lincoln’s EV dealer requirements soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Lincoln news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
Articles, like this, show brand-new/highly updated show rooms and service departments. From what I have read in other stories, as well as told by real world friends in industry, every one of those have included electrical upgrades that fully cover EV chargers. So, the actual cost is much lower for most than indicated. What this article is showing is worst case situation.
The powers that be (Farley, et al) at Ford have absolutely lost their minds. I swear they have become the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. First, they get rid of all their entry level models in the US leaving a sizable market to KIA, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda. Then they decide to do away with the Edge and probably the Escape. Then they decide you can either be a Model E dealer or A Blue? dealer, but not both. Then they announce dealers have to sell their E vehicles at a set price and now they announce dealers will have to spend $500K and up to meet their E dealer standards. Lincoln dealers even more. My question is this: What idiots would continue to sell Fords under these directives and what would they have to sell? Sub-brands? Let me see if I have this right. We’re going to quit making and selling most of our most popular models in hopes to compete with Tesla? Brilliant!!!
Well said! There has to be something behind this EV push i’m not seeing, average leases on gas engines are $500 a month right now, what are electric leases? What’s cost for avg charging station install in your garage? Quick charging??? Ford has been saying many F-150 owners are paying upwards of $1000 a month for payments!!!
Something is going to have to give
Spot on comment. I live in a semi rural area with one Lincoln store. Next closest is 30 miles away. I assume mine will disappear in short order. It’s obvious Farley (the smartest guy in the room) aspires to the Tesla business model and will become a reality as soon as the state laws prohibiting direct selling are overturned.
Yeah hi Jim:
Agree: I don’t see why dealerships need fast chargers at all, really..
I CAN see a few inexpensive Level 2 (6-16 kw) charger docking stations IF the dealership rents loaners FOR A PROFIT – in this case, the refueling charge if not returned fully charge is a PROFIT CENTER.
Ford must forget that dealers must move ‘tin’ to make money….. The dealerships here in Western NY are far more honest these days than historically…. But they need used cars to sell and New cars – something of which BOTH are in short supply and they are hurting. Adding useless additional gobbledygook that does not have a business purpose is counter-productive…
I would assume dealerships that otherwise would like to sell plug-in products will be hindered by FORD’s pie-in-the-sky wishes…. I for one would like to see FORD make better products – ones that do not have designed-in flaws that a dealership cannot fix.
This is insane 2million for a dealer to invest to ell EV vehicles they do not even want to sell. The ones who do sell them will be told a specific price ( which is good ) I doubt they will stick to that. More price market additions coming soon to a dealer near you.
HI Marc:
I compare this current ridiculously expensive policy to the local VW dealer years ago when they first started selling plug in cars… They had 2 level 2 (6 kw) charger docking stations in the lot (presumably that they used to recharge Loaners mostly – for a PROFIT), and the only thing in the showroom was the
MOST pretty painted shoe box you have ever seen (which just had the 110 volt 12 amp charger cord inside of it from one of the cars in inventory) to show prospective customers how to charge the car. No investment hardly at all.
EV’s are being pushed by the current government even though we currently have a HUGE energy crisis on THEIR hands. California says DONT charge you EV’s cause we can’t produce the power because we want to rely on solar/wind but can’t get the power we need from them, but we’ll be GREEN! It should be up to the MARKET to go green, not government. It’s $80k upfront cost to get into and EV, and what do you do when you’re government says don’t charge? $80k paper weight. We didn’t pay that much for our ’22 Super Duty. Don’t see an EV towing a 16k 5th wheel around.
I believe you misrepresent the California incident:
– firstly you leave the impression that this is a common event; it was an isolated incident when temperatures briefly reached a record high.
– the request came from the power generation and distribution companies; it was not a government mandate.
– the reason also had to do with not overloading the distribution network; this is not the generation end of the business that you erroneously blame.
– the request was to avoid daytime charging if possible, and instead to charge overnight, and also to not over cool one’s home; customers responded to the request, a problem was avoided, and after temps dropped things were ok again.
So much chicken little big oil talking points FOX FUD nonsense.
As for towing with a BEV the OEMs have clearly said until BEV is appropriate for heavy duty applications, ICE options will remain in the portfolio.
Do you live in California?
I do not understand why a viable dealer, given the choice, would elect to sell only ICE knowing there days are presumably numbered. On this point, it seems pretty clear that FORD is forcing a bunch of their stores out of business… If this is a nice way to be nasty, the blow back they get will be well deserved.
So what do you recommend?
Ford do nothing to position for the changes that will come?
Stay with an unloved, increasingly outmoded, distribution model?
Stay with an increasingly obsolete ICE powertrain?
Ford’s transformation isn’t guaranteed to succeed, but if Ford doesn’t change, it is guaranteed to be eclipsed by the competition and fail.
What happens to all the dealers if Ford fails???
well we’ll see just how many Lincoln dealers are left after the reorginazation takes place. Any kind of investment like this will have to be passed on to the customers. Really bad timing heading into 2023’s economic conditions in the US as well. Wonder how long it will take for the general public to find out just what the Lincoln dealers’ December 15th decision was.
EV in general is a big problem. The infrastructure is just not there. No solar will not fix this. Any electric car needs fast charging to be an efficient transportation, at least what we are accustomed too.
Plugging a car at your home is a joke that unknowing buyers are finding out. It takes days to get a partial charge, many many days to fully charge. Spend a few thousands on your home electric and it still takes many hours, at least overnight. Forget fast charging at home, the cost and the electric service to your home makes it impossible.
Okay, that is just home issues. Electrical grids are at their peak right now before transportation changing in mass. As many experts in the field will tell you, we will need double or triple the output. That’s not going to happen. We will get to choose, air conditioning or car charging. You can’t have both on hot days.
As a country we need energy to run otherwise we go back to the cotten gin days. No, this is not hyperbole. This electric car thing is fine for the extra run around car, but total electric is impossible.