Since it announced the new Ford EV sales certification program known as Model e Certified in 2022, Ford has dealt with its fair share of backlash related to this particular offering, which Ford dealers were given the chance to either opt in or out of. Facing a number of legal challenges and trust issues pertaining to its implementation, the automaker has made some changes to the Model e Certified program based on dealer feedback, which satisfied some of those concerns, though others remain. Following these changes, around 50 percent of dealers chose to opt out of the Ford EV sales program after initially opting in. Now, a core requirement of that same program has been pushed back, according to Automotive News.
That change relates to one of the more controversial requirements of the Model e Certified program – charging infrastructure. Though the program officially kicked off the first of the year – meaning that dealers that opted out can only now sell EVs that were already on their lots – the automaker has chosen not to enforce its rules pertaining to charger installation, at least for now.
Instead, Ford will delay its requirements on the number of fast chargers dealers must install by six months – to June 30th – due to supply constraints. Though the actual expenses of installing these chargers have thus far proven to be lower than expected, it’s been difficult to secure the needed supplies and labor to do so, prompting Ford to call on third-party companies to help. Additionally, the automaker is working to switch from the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard to the North American Charging Standard (NACS), which further complicates matters, though dealers are installing CCS chargers for now, regardless.
Meanwhile, Lincoln – Ford’s luxury arm – has put its own EV sales program on hold for now, as Ford Authority reported last week. The brand is currently “rethinking its strategy” as it continues to trim down its dealer network, though that reportedly had nothing to do with this decision.
We’ll have more on the Ford Model e Certified program soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
EVs are not as reliable and cost way more than their ICE counterparts. Many automotive news articles state the same.
The trade media (especially Automotive News) has been cheerleading the govt’s forced implementation of non-sensical, regressive EV requirements for years.