Though it got off to a red-hot start and was routinely selling for far more than sticker price, the Ford F-150 Lightning has since cooled considerably. This prompted Ford to scale back its planned production for the EV pickup, as well as introduce a variety of incentives to help spur sales. Regardless, Ford F-150 Lightning inventory has remained a bit high across the U.S., which poses a bit of a problem as the automaker looks to move leftover 2024 model year inventory and make room for 2025 pickups. Now, The Blue Oval has launched a new incentive program that’s aimed at encouraging dealers to take advantage of a unique method the automaker is leaning into.
According to CarsDirect, FoMoCo has launched a pilot program that will pay dealers $1,000 for every Ford F-150 Lightning pickup they replenish from the company’s Retail Replenishment Centers (RRC). That figure jumps to $1,500 per unit for dealers that take nine units up to 15, after which the amount is retroactive – meaning that dealers can score up to $22,500 in total across one month. Ford created RRCs as a way to reduce the costs of selling EVs for dealers, though that also gives them a good reason to not keep quite as many on lots, too.
There are some caveats to this deal, of course, as the entry-level Ford F-150 Lightning Pro is excluded, though the XLT, Flash, Lariat, and Platinum trims are eligible. It’s also possible that dealers who take advantage of the offer won’t pass any sort of savings on to consumers, instead opting to keep that extra money for themselves. On top of that, the existence of RRCs also means that shoppers won’t have quite as many vehicles to lull over when they visit their local dealer, too. Regardless, in its memo to dealers, Ford notes that this deal is intended “to further test the logistics and efficiencies of RRCs and to increase RRC engagement.”
As Ford Authority previously reported, 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is currently scheduled to commence very soon – on November 12th, 2024, though as always, that date is subject to change.
No Comments yet