As Ford Authority originally reported years ago, Blue Oval dealers were told not to list the Ford F-150 Lightning and Ford Mustang Mach-E below MSRP when the EVs originally launched, though those same dealers were permitted to sell those vehicles at less than sticker price. At the time, this request was a bit moot given the fact that both models were in high demand and short supply for some time, which meant that most weren’t just selling at MSRP, but in many cases, with markups attached. That changed in early December as The Blue Oval decided to abandon its Minimum Allowable Advertised Price (MAAP) policy for the Mach-E, but not the F-150 Lightning. Now, that has changed, according to a dealer bulletin recently seen by CarsDirect.
According to this bulletin, Ford has completely done away with its MAAP policy for EVs, and in fact, this change took effect on the first day of 2024, according to Ford spokesman Marty Günsberg. Dealers have been able to sell EVs for less than sticker price since the beginning, but the automaker didn’t want the same models to be advertised below MSRP for a few reasons, largely as a way to build or preserve a brand/model’s image, as advertising ultra-cheap deals can signal trouble in the proverbial water.
Regardless, this policy did make things difficult for those who like to shop around online before visiting a dealership, and it also made it harder for dealers to entice those same customers to do precisely that.
With demand for EVs, in general, waning a bit as of late, this change should help dealers attract more customers to lots, if nothing else. Rather than take a fixed pricing approach as many of its rivals do, Ford EVs are now being treated more like traditional ICE models, which – when coupled with a number of new discounts – should make them more attractive to potential buyers as well.
We’ll have more on Ford’s policies and procedures soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comment
EVs have failed miserably. Americans simply aren’t interested. Repair shops even have posters on the walls outlining the expense and problems with EVs.